Novak Djokovic's U.S. Open quarterfinal was suddenly tied at a set apiece, and he tore off his shirt as he headed to the sideline. He sat, halfheartedly tried to smash his racket, then began screaming.
Hardly the first time, nor likely to be the last, that Djokovic has let out a little emotion during a match. Whatever gets you through the day, right?
Gathering himself after getting pushed around a bit by an opponent with an unconventional style, Djokovic wound up reaching the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the ninth consecutive year with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez that finished a little after 1 a.m. Wednesday.
'It was frustrating at times,' the No. 1-ranked Djokovic said, 'but this is the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. This is what you expect.'
For all of his success getting to the closing days of the U.S. Open, though, Djokovic has one championship to show for it, in 2011. His other eight major titles came at either the Australian Open or Wimbledon.
Still, Djokovic is certainly consistent: He has now made it to the semifinals at 22 of the past 23 major tournaments.
'I hope I can keep on going,' the Serb said.
On Friday, he will take on defending champion Marin Cilic, who was unfazed by wasting a big lead or match points while holding on to beat 19th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4 earlier Tuesday.
'A big mental fight,' the Croatian called it, 'especially after losing that fourth set.'
Djokovic has never lost to Cilic, winning all 13 of their matches.
India's tennis queen Sania Mirza remained on course for her second
successive Grand Slam title after reaching the semifinals of the US Open
with Swiss partner Martina Hingis.
Top seeds Sania and Hingis, the Wimbledon champions, saw off the challenge of Taipei girls Yung-Jan Chan and Hao-Ching Chan 7-6(5) 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.
In the 85-minute contest, Sania and Hingis converted all the four breakpoints they earned and lost their serve twice to their ninth seed opponents.
The top seeds next face 11th seed Italians Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta.
In the junior girls singles, India's Karman Kaur Thandi reached the third round with a 6-2 4-6 6-3 win over E Levashova
In the men's doubles quarter-finals Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea will take on Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt in the quarterfinals.
Bopanna is also in contention in the mixed doubles event where he and his partner Yung-Jan Chan are up against Leander Paes and Martina Hingis in the semifinals.
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