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A16 sports
Saturday 10 OctOber 2020
No. 1 Djokovic escapes in 5, will face No. 2 Nadal in final

By HOWARD FENDRICH and was 1 for 13.
JEROME PUGMIRE Tsitsipas, in contrast, began
AP Sports Writers 0 for 10, then went 4 for 5.
PARIS (AP) — Novak After the fourth set, Djokov-
Djokovic seemed well on ic changed socks and
his way to yet another ho- shoes, and Tsitsipas got a
hum victory, yet another medical visit for a check of
French Open final, yet an- his left leg.
other matchup against ri- "I believe my body was not
val Rafael Nadal. And then, ready," Tsitsipas acknowl-
suddenly, what had been edged afterward. "Physi-
a gallop became a grind. cally, I wasn't really there."
Slightly more than two Djokovic is now 32-10 in
hours into his semifinal five-setters, and 216-1
against Stefanos Tsitsipas when taking a two-set lead
on Friday night, Djokovic in Grand Slam matches
was serving for the match, (the lone loss came at the
one point from ending 2010 French Open against
things in straight sets. Just. Jurgen Melzer).
One. Point. But a down- Tsitsipas? Only 2-4 in five-
the-line backhand veered setters.
a tad wide, Djokovic rolled Maybe it made sense,
his eyes and, eventually, he then, that Djokovic, so reli-
was stuck in a serious situ- Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the semifinal match of the French Open tennis tourna- ant on drop shots all match
ation, somehow pushed to ment against Argentina's Diego Schwartzman in three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6, at the Roland Garros and all tournament, used
five sets. stadium in Paris, France, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. a perfect one to break for
As is usually the case, Associated Press a 2-1 lead in the fifth. That
though, he was up to the became 4-1 when Tsitsipas
task when it mattered the old from Spain. matters, but his focus re- door a bit ajar, and Tsitsipas double-faulted.
most. Djokovic got back in It will be their 56th meet- mains squarely on the task barged through. He got his "I feel, I can say, happy
gear down the stretch to ing, the most between two at hand. first break all match when — and, at the same time,
hold off the much younger, men in the professional era "I'm playing the most im- Djokovic sent a forehand sad," Tsitsipas said.
much less accomplished (Djokovic leads 29-26), 16th portant tournament of the long, making it 5-all. Tsitsi- Djokovic is now 37-1 in 2020,
Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1 at a major (Nadal leads 9-6) year — that's what moti- pas broke again to steal the only setback coming
to reach his fifth title match and eighth at the French vates me," he insisted. that set when Djokovic net- via a disqualification at the
at Roland Garros. Open (Nadal leads 6-1). While Nadal dealt with the ted a forehand, then got U.S. Open last month.
"I stayed calm on the sur- "It's his house," Djokovic slightest tension late in his things to a fifth. "For sure, he has reached
face," Djokovic said, "but said. third set Friday, everything What changed? Tsitsipas almost perfection, Novak,
deep down, it was a totally In addition to closing in became more interesting began pushing forward in his game style, the way
different matter." on an unfathomable 13th at that juncture for Djokovic more, taking the action to he plays," Tsitsipas said,
Standing in the way of No. French Open champion- against Tsitsipas, a 22-year- Djokovic, whose misses be- "which is unbelievable to
1 Djokovic, a 33-year-old ship with a 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (0) old from Greece in his sec- gan to increase with less see, honestly."
from Serbia, on Sunday at win over 12th-seeded Di- ond major semifinal. time to properly calibrate. Nadal improved to 99-2
Court Philippe Chatier — ego Schwartzman, Nadal Djokovic served for the win Also notable: the massive at the French Open — go
he is pursuing a second tro- now gets a chance to tie at 5-4, holding that match swing in success on break ahead, read that again —
phy there and 18th from all Roger Federer for the men's point at 40-30. He would points. including a combined 25-0
Grand Slam tournaments record of 20 Slam titles. require another 1 hour, 45 Djokovic started by con- in semifinals and finals, as
— will be, as it's been so of- Nadal said it's fine for oth- minutes to finish the job. verting 4 of 5, then went he seeks a fourth consecu-
ten, No. 2 Nadal, a 34-year- ers to discuss about such That one misstep left the through a stretch where he tive title in Paris. q

Shiffrin skips season-opener with

back issue, returns to U.S.

Friday, pulling out of next The U.S. ski team added for the last eight years
week's season-opening gi- that "Mikaela will plan to straight, this feels... really
ant slalom in Austria with a head back to the States frustrating and strange (for
back issue. to rest and recover, and lack of better words). Luck-
The two-time Olympic gold her return to competition is ily, this injury will heal and
medalist and three-time TBD." I will be back in the start
overall World Cup cham- The next races on the World soon," said Shiffrin, who
pion, who hasn't raced in Cup calendar are two par- finished on the podium in
nearly nine months, said allel slaloms on Nov. 13-14 Soelden five times in the
she tweaked her back in another Austrian resort, past six years, winning the
In this Dec. 7, 2019, file photo, Mikaela Shiffrin races down the
course during the women's World Cup downhill ski race, in Lake while skiing last week. Lech. race in 2014.
Louise, Alberta. "I have been advised to sit Shiffrin has struggled with "Okay, maybe my count-
Associated Press Soelden out to let my back back issues before but nev- down has been delayed,
heal so I can race the rest er sat out a World Cup race but the big countdown is
VIENNA (AP) — Mikaela turn to World Cup skiing for of the season," Shiffrin wrote for that reason. ON and I can't wait for it to
Shiffrin postponed her re- at least another month on on Instagram. "Having started in Soelden start," she added.q