US Open PIX: Djokovic whips Fritz; Shelton blasts way past Tiafoe

IMAGES from Day 9 of the US Open, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York.

Novak Djokovic shrugged off stifling heat and Taylor Fritz 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to breeze into the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday and stay on course for a fourth Flushing Meadows crown that would see him match Margaret Court's record haul of 24 Grand Slams.

With temperatures once again nudging towards 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Djokovic turned in a cool, clinical effort, improving his record against American opposition at the US Open to a perfect 12-0.

While Fritz's Grand Slam came to an end, the US is guaranteed at least one player in the men's semi-finals, with Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton meeting in an all-American clash on Arthur Ashe later on Tuesday and Djokovic waiting to take on the winner for a spot in Sunday's final.

"It's expected of course that people are backing the home player and there is nothing wrong with that," said Djokovic. "I actually like the energy, like the atmosphere on center court here.

"Day sessions, night sessions, people are getting into it.

"I'm fine with that. I thrive on that energy and try to use it as a fuel.

"I've been playing on this court for so many years, so many epic matches, I can't wait for another one in a few days time."

On a baking hot day, 19-year-old Coco Gauff had warmed up the Arthur Ashe crowd, blasting past Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko to become the youngest American to reach the US Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2001.

But Fritz could not keep the party going, although the 25-year-old had his opportunities but could convert only two of 12 break chances while committing 51 unforced errors, almost double his opponent's 26.

Fritz had lost all seven career meetings with Djokovic and never beaten a top-10 opponent at a Grand Slam but rolled into the quarter-finals in sensational form, the only player to not drop a set and broken only once in 50 service games.

Djokovic wasted no time ending both those runs, breaking the American three times and then taking the first set with a booming ace.

Fritz finally held serve to open the second but was soon feeling the pressure again with Djokovic breaking the ninth seed a fourth time to go ahead 2-1 and close out the set in the same emphatic style with an ace.

With the crowd getting behind him, Fritz would offer up more resistance in the third but could not find a way back, with the 36-year-old Serb getting the decisive break at 5-4 and then holding serve - improving to 13-0 in US Open quarter-finals.

Big-hitting Shelton blasts way past Tiafoe

Big-hitting Ben Shelton blasted his way past Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 and into the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday in an all-American match up that lived up to its blockbuster billing.

With the victory the 20-year-old Shelton becomes the youngest American to reach the US Open men's last four since Michael Chang in 1992, setting up a meeting with one of the greats of the game - 23 times Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

"Feeling like I left it all out here tonight," said the 47th ranked Shelton, who is still searching for his first ATP Tour win. "Emotional battle and thanks all you guys for staying so late.

"Hell of an atmosphere. Thanks for pushing me over the line."

There are not too many sporting events in New York that create more buzz than an all-American clash under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights at the business end of the season's final Grand Slam.

The atmosphere during a night session is always electric but it was dialled up a few notches for Tiafoe and Shelton, the contest the first in 15 years two feature two Black American men battling on the world's largest tennis venue.

James Blake and Donald Young met on Ashe in the opening round of the 2008 US Open but the stakes were considerably higher on Tuesday, with the winner moving on to face Djokovic for a place in Sunday's final and the opportunity to end a 20-year US Open title drought.

"He (Djokovic) has won 23 of these (Grand Slams), it doesn't get much better than that," said Shelton. "It's been tough the last two matches, I've been playing Americans but hopefully you guys bring it for me two nights in a row."

The 10th seeded Tiafoe, who electrified the home crowd with a run to the semi-finals last year, had dropped only one set en route to the quarter-finals but it did not take long for Shelton to take a second.

Shelton came out guns blazing, with his groundstrokes struck with such venom they drew gasps from the capacity crowd.

After holding his first two serves Tiafoe had no answers for his opponent's explosive forehand as Shelton claimed five straight games to snatch opening set.

But there was no panic from Tiafoe as he got to grips with Shelton's big swings, which started to miss the mark.

He would get his first break chances of the match in the sixth game of the second and levelled at a set apiece.

In a wild third set the momentum seemed to swing on every serve with six breaks, three from each player, in the first eight games.

The set would go to a tie-break that was just as unpredictable with Shelton taking back-to-back double faults, including one on set point, before finally winning it 9-7.

There was no mistaking where the momentum was going into the fourth with Shelton hammering a backhand winner down the line that a flat-footed Tiafoe could only watch to clinch the early break.

Another break at 5-2 and Tiafoe's fate was sealed with Shelton holding serve for the win.

Muchova marches into first US Open semis

Karolina Muchova overwhelmed Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 on Tuesday to set up a US Open semi-final against American Coco Gauff.

Muchova, seeded 10th, smacked 32 winners and played outstanding defence to see off the 33-year-old Cirstea at Arthur Ashe Stadium and reach her first US Open semi.

"Unbelievable. It's a really sweet victory and this stadium, I mean, incredible," Muchova said.

"Thank you to everyone who came and cheered."

French Open finalist Muchova got off to a quick start and raced out to a 3-0 lead before fending off nine break points to win a marathon game and extend to 4-0.

A flustered Cirstea's backhand then landed wide to put her opponent up 5-0 and Muchova completed the bagel the next game.



After an animated conversation with her coach during the break between sets, Cirstea held to start the second and broke for 2-0 when her charge to the net caused Muchova to miss a passing shot.

But Muchova broke right back, and again for a 4-3 lead she would not relinquish as her net play, precise lobs and pinpoint serving carried the day.

Cirstea missed a swinging volley to set up match point, which Muchova converted with a forehand winner to end the contest in just over an hour and a half.

Next up for Muchova is Gauff, who was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Jelena Ostapenko earlier in the day. The Czech said she knows she will be up against both the 19-year-old American and the home crowd on Friday.

"Obviously she's an amazing player. She has the home crowd here," she said.

"It's going to be very tough but I want to enjoy this win and then I'll try to put up a battle against Coco."

Gauff too good for Ostapenko

American sixth seed Coco Gauff bolstered her hopes of securing a maiden Grand Slam title as she enjoyed a stress-free 6-0, 6-2 win over Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko to reach the semi-finals.

Gauff, whose lead-up to the US Open included hardcourt titles in Washington and Cincinnati, converted six of her seven break points and dropped serve just once during the 67-minute match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ostapenko entered the match full of confidence having upset world number one Iga Swiatek in the previous round but, against Gauff, the misfiring Latvian 20th seed could not find her range and delivered an error-filled performance.

Gauff was in control from the start and showcased excellent court coverage while delivering a steady stream of balls deep into the corners en route to capturing the first set in 20 minutes and limiting Ostapenko to seven points.

Former French Open champion Ostapenko, playing in her first US Open quarter-final, finally got on the board with a break to level the second set at 1-1 but Gauff never wavered as she broke right back and cruised home.

The 19-year-old American went up a double break for a 5-2 lead before closing out the match on her serve in a game in which she had to come back after falling behind 0-30.

With the win, Gauff avenged her round of 16 loss to the Latvian at this year's Australian Open that left the American in tears.

Up next for Gauff, who is the youngest American to reach the US Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2001, will be either Czech 10th seed and French Open finalist Karolina Muchova or Romanian 30th seed Sorana Cirstea.