Novak Djokovic topples Juan Martin Del Potro to reach semis – US Open 2012
Defending champion, Novak Djokovic, stomped over the 2009 champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, in straight sets at the US Open 2012 on Thursday. He nudged up a 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against the Argentinean number one to power into the final four at this major hard court event taking place in Queens in New York City, United States.
Seeded second in this major hard court event, Djokovic showed flawless performance to outclass the Argentine in their seventh encounter. After recording the victory in three hours and six minutes, the Serb not only improved to a 5-2 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head Series against the 23-year-old but also progressed into the semi-finals.
Djokovic stated in a courtside interview with Brad Gilbert:
“Even though it was a three-set win, it was much closer than the score indicated. He is a great player. I was lucky to get out of the second set with a two-set advantage. It’s always entertaining playing in these night sessions. I’m very happy to be in the semi-finals.”
The Serbian top ranked star stormed into the Arthur Ashe Stadium in USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He got the desiderated break in the fourth game and jumped to a 4-1 lead. Djokovic plucked his remaining serves without facing any hindrance. He cashed in another break chance in the last game and pocketed the opener with a 6-2 win.
Ranked second in the world, Djokovic swayed from his track towards the second set. He suffered the first blow in the opening game and went 0-2 down. However, he remained focused and snatched his break back in the 10th game. The set went to a tie-breaker where the Serb unveiled his true colours again and clinched the set with a 7-6(3) score line.
The 25-year-old perfected his game again in the following set. He carved out the break opportunity in the opening game and then kept his remaining serves, eventually sealing the set by winning six games to four.
Next in queue for Djokovic is the world number five, David Ferrer, who outshined eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic in marathon five sets to set up this clash.
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