NEW YORK – Drop shots, ripped shirts, shoulder massages, Coca-Cola cans and more—it was all part of a dizzying display of tennis during the first U.S. Open men’s semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils on Friday.
The spectacle on court rattled the Arthur Ashe crowd, the players and surely all who were watching at home. But in the end, top-seeded Djokovic advanced to his seventh U.S. Open final, beating No. 10-seed Monfils 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in one of the most unusual contests of the tournament. Tennis fans are no stranger to entertainment in matches involving Monfils, but typically the show involves the Frenchman and his racquet.