Novak Djokovic pushed into the semifinals of the US Open despite an at-times iffy performance, defeating John Millman in straight sets and avoiding falling victim to the same unheralded Australian who upended Roger Federer two days earlier.
The 13-time grand slam champion won Millman’s opening service game and never trailed en route to the 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win, but was forced to grind out the win over two hours and 49 minutes as Millman put up a valiant fight, extending rallies to dozens of shots on countless occasions.
Djokovic looked well in control serving at 3-2 in the third, but was called for a time violation and subsequently double faulted to give Millman break point. Then, he appeared to knowingly receive a second violation — costing him a first serve — and played a poor point to hand the Australian the break back.
Three games later, the Serbian won three straight grinding rallies to procure triple break point, the third of which he converted when Millman slammed a forehand into the net. Four points later, Djokovic knocked a soft backhand volley back across the net to secure his win.
Those late dramas marked only the final swings in the match. Before beginning to serve at 2-2 in the second set, Millman approached the net and asked Djokovic if he could leave the court and change his sopping wet clothes in the oppressive humidity. An exhausted Djokovic agreed and enjoyed a several-minute respite, after which he raised his level.
Millman staved off break points shortly thereafter, closing a 27-ball rally with an emphatic forehand, and saved yet more at 4-4 — making 11 in a row fought off — before a superb Djokovic return and untimely Millman double fault handed the Serbian a lead he would not relinquish.
That edge carried from the second set, which Djokovic closed with serve-and-volley on set point, to the third. A double fault gave him an early break point, which he converted when Millman missed a forehand. Djokovic, presently No. 6 in the world, continued to strike the ball cleanly and TKTK
Such form resembled the opening games. Two strong Djokovic groundstrokes gave him an early 2-0 lead, and Millman was forced to work for every point he won. That included an eight-deuce, 16-minute game at 1-4, which the 29-year-old Aussie only closed with a superb backhand winner on the penultimate point.
He earned his first break point as Djokovic served for the set, forcing the Wimbledon champion to run down several near-winners. He closed out the set two points later, but his level dipped shortly thereafter.
Two sets and a few lulls later, Djokovic had booked his place against Kei Nishikori in the semifinals despite converting a woeful four of 20 break point opportunities and tallying 53 unforced errors.
