Novak Djokovic has beaten France's Gael Monfils 3 sets to 1 to set up a final on Sunday against Stan Wawrinka in the US Open in New York. The Frenchman's antics during the match surprised many.
Image: Reuters/R. Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
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Novak Djokovic, the defending champion and world No. 1, won 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach his 21st Grand Slam final. On Sunday, he will be aiming to win his third major of 2016 and the 13th of his career.
During the match, which featured some unconventional tactics from Gael Monfils, spectators at the Arthur Ashe Stadium jeered as tennis commentator John McEnroe blasted the 10th-seeded Frenchman for lack of effort on ESPN's telecast.
After his loss, Monfils hit back at the accusations. "Yes, I'm competing," Monfils raged, cursing for emphasis.
"I tried to get inside Novak's head," he added. "It was a very quick 5-0. I had to change a little bit. I think it worked. There's not only one way to play tennis. When the guy is hitting clean and you're not serving good, you just show him. You stand in the middle of the court.
"He starts to double fault a little bit. Then you give him a very slow ball. And then he comes to the net. I pass him. Was great strategy.
"When I tried to play 'original' tennis, he kills me."
"Well, it was a strange match, as it always is, I guess, when you play Gael, who is very unpredictable player." said Djokovic, in the understatement of the tournament, admitting that Monfils's bizarre approach had unsettled him.
In Friday's late semifinal, No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland beat No. 6 seed Kei Nishikori also by 3 sets to 1. He goes on to face Djokovic on Sunday.
Kerber vs. Pliskova
Ahead of Sunday's men's final, German tennis star Angelique Kerber, the current world No. 1 in the women's division, will face off against Czech Karolina Pliskova in Saturday's women's singles final.
Angelique Kerber's journey to No. 1
Angelique Kerber has become only the second German after Steffi Graf to hold the women's No. 1 ranking in professional tennis. Here's a look at how she battled her way to the top.
Image: Reuters/B. Malone
2003: Turning professional
Angelique Kerber started playing tennis at age three. Born in Bremen in 1988, Kerber moved to Kiel with her parents to live in an apartment in a training academy, where her German mother Beata and Polish father Slawek worked. At 15, Kerber turned professional, and three years later she played her first major tournament in Hasselt, Belgium.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/C. Koepsel
2007: Into the top 100
Angelique Kerber won four titles on the International Tennis Federation tour and climbed into the top 100 in May 2007 for the first time. She made the main draw for the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, but couldn't progress. In the first round in New York, she faced Serena Williams (r.) for the first time. Kerber battled hard, but Williams prevailed 6-3, 7-5.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Gombert
2008: Round two
Angelique Kerber reached the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2008 Australian Open. Back then she could have had no idea that eight years later, it would be here that she would win her first Grand Slam title.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. F. Alquinto
2011: Nearly the end
Having reached the second round in just three of 13 tournaments, 2011 was the low point of Kerber's career. The German tennis star even considered retirement. Instead, she decided to make a new start, working harder than ever and surprised everyone by reaching the semifinals of the US Open.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Clifford
2012: The breakthrough
Into the top 20 in February, top 10 in May and then the top 5 in October - in 2012 Kerber emerged as one of the best players in women's tennis. Her first WTA victory came in Paris (photo), and another followed in Copenhagen. At Wimbledon, Kerber made the semifinals, and in Cincinnati she enjoyed her first triumph over Serena Williams.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Reix
2013: Steady course
After a sensational 2012, it was time for Kerber to confirm her success. She won a title in Linz (photo), but suffered a number of defeats as well. She also took part in the WTA finals, where the best eight players of the season faced off against one another.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Gindl
2015: The return of a familiar face
Coach Torben Beltz was largely responsible for making her the player she had become, but the two parted company at the end of 2013. Kerber brought in Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh for 2014, but she suffered a dip in form. After a poor start to 2015, Kerber rehired Beltz and the German quickly returned to her winning ways.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Roberts
2015: Multiple titles
Germany's top women's player won four WTA titles (Birmingham title in the photo), something she hadn't managed in any previous year. In her match against Victoria Azarenka in the US Open, she took part in one of the matches of the year, although Azarenka was the one who prevailed.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Levy
2016: First Grand Slam
Angelique Kerber became the first German since Steffi Graf to win a Grand Slam title, beating the world No.1, Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open. "This is a dream come true," she said after the win. "These have been the two best weeks of my life."
Image: Reuters/J. O'Brien/Action Images
A setback in Paris
It wasn't smooth sailing from there. Kerber was knocked out of the first round of the French Open by Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. Kerber had pulled out of a tournament a week earlier due to a shoulder injury, and she required medical treatment at Roland Garros. "Of course, I'm disappointed that I lost in the first round, but that's sport and that always can happen," Kerber said.
Image: Getty Images/C. Brunskill
Another Grand Slam final
On the grass courts of Wimbledon, Angelique Kerber bounced back to reach her second Grand Slam final of the year. The world's No. 2 player battled hard but lost to the top-ranked Serena Williams 7-5, 6-3. "I would like to say congrats to Serena, you really deserved your title, you’re a great person, a great champion," Kerber said in the on-court interview.
Image: picture alliance/newscom/H. Philpott
Silver in Rio
Kerber cruised through the Olympic tennis tournament in Rio, advancing to the gold-medal match without dropping a single set. However, she had to settle for a silver medal after being upset by the No. 34 women's player, Monica Puig of Puerto Rico, thus failing in her bid to become the first German woman to win Olympic gold since Steffi Graf did so for West Germany in Seoul in 1988.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/L. Schulze
The new No.1
Kerber will be the new No.1 women's player when the WTA releases next week's rankings on Monday - as Serena Williams was defeated in the first semifinal of the US Open. The German won the Grand Slam final of 2016 on Sunday.
