Carlos Alcaraz reaches US Open quarterfinal with late-night win against Marin Cilic
After a wild first set, one of the most improbable victories in his career and one that may have helped to define his game, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic could not miss a chance to add his name to the annals of great tennis triumphs.
After his first two matches in this year’s US Open quarterfinal, Djokovic began the second with a win and quickly turned the match into one of those rare occasions when a win appears not to matter.
Djokovic’s forehand was once again a weapon, as he overpowered Cilic in the fifth game of his 3-setter. The sixth served as an extension of that, as he won a final-set tiebreaker after Cilic had been broken in the second set. The last three games of the match were even, but Djokovic won the first two 6-4 6-2, 4-6 6-3 and then the next two with the final tiebreaker after having Cilic serve for the match in the third.
No. 35, with his third US Open victory in as many years, came close to ending the tournament’s 25-year wait for a victory by a man with Djokovic’s age group.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Djokovic, 24, who will play No. 2 Roger Federer in the semifinals Wednesday night in a match he knows will be a tough test. “I haven’t won [in] a really long time. I’ve been pretty much 0-for-a-while. I’ve been sort of in the middle part of the season.”
What is it about this year’s US Open that has made this the most important tournament that Djokovic has competed in?
“I think a few things,” he said. “No. 1, I’ve been really fortunate when I get to play, where it’s like a good match really fast…. I’ve been in situations in the past where if I lost a set