Djokovic Meets Berrettini Again; Zverev Plays Harris For US Open SFs Spot
Will Matteo Berrettini make it third time lucky against Novak Djokovic this year? Having lost to the World No. 1 in the Roland Garros quarter-finals and the Wimbledon final, the popular Italian gets another chance on Wednesday night at the US Open in the last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic, who continues his quest for the Grand Slam, is riding a 25-match winning streak at the major championships and has lost the opening set in eight of those matches this year. Berrettini clinched the first set against Djokovic 7-6(4) in the Wimbledon final on 11 July, but was unable to go on and record his first Top 10 win at a major (0-5).
Djokovic’s Longest Grand Slam Match Wins Streaks
| Wins | Start | End | Streak Buster |
| 30* | 2015 Wimbledon 1R | 2016 Wimbledon 3R | Sam Querrey |
| 27 | 2011 Wimbledon 1R | 2012 Roland Garros Final | Rafael Nadal |
| 26 | 2018 Wimbledon 1R | 2019 Roland Garros SFs | 2019 – l. to Medvedev in SFs |
| 25 | 2021 Australian Open 1R | ? | ? |
* Longest Grand Slam Win Streak in Open Era (since 1968 Roland Garros)
“[Matteo] is the ‘Hammer’ of tennis,” said Djokovic, who is seeking his 80th match win today at Flushing Meadows (79-12 record). “Next to [Juan Martin] del Potro, [he is] probably the hardest hitter of a serve and forehand. He’s got the lethal-serve-plus-one game. He’s already established as a top player. Without a doubt. He played a semi-final here a couple of years ago, [and the] finals at Wimbledon. That was a tough four-setter.
“If he serves well, which is his biggest weapon, he’s tough. He’s tough on any surface to play against. I’ve had some really close matches with him [at the] French Open and Wimbledon recently. We’re going to play the third Grand Slam in a row against each other. Hopefully, the result will be the same like the previous two.”
Djokovic, who has won 42 of 47 matches this season, is also seeking to win another three matches this week for a record-breaking 21st major championship crown – breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer (both on 20).
If sixth seed Berrettini were to snap a three-match losing streak against Djokovic, factoring in points earned at the tournament, he will rise to fifth position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin and improve his chances of joining the Serbian superstar at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 14-21 November.
Photo: Darren Carroll/USTA
Last year’s US Open finalist Alexander Zverev will be attempting to extend his 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against fellow 24-year-old Lloyd Harris in the second match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Zverev is riding a 15-match winning streak on the summer hard-court swing and will take a great deal of confidence into the quarter-final clash. Zverev beat Harris 7-6(3), 6-2 in the Western & Southern Open second round on 18 August en route to his fifth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati and he also beat Harris 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 en route to the first of his two title in Cologne last year.
Service consistency has helped fourth seed Zverev sweep into the US Open last eight. He has been broken twice in 56 service games — following victories over Sam Querrey, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Jack Sock and 13th seed Jannik Sinner — and struck only 10 double faults in four matches.
Zverev’s 2021 US Open Service Statistics
| Aces (Double Faults) | 62 (10) |
| First Service Pct. | 71% |
| First Serve Pts. Won | 82% |
| Second Serve Pts. Won | 60% |
| Break Pts. Saved | 6 of 8 (75%) |
| Service Games Won | 54 of 56 (96%) |
Zverev’s Shining Weapon: ‘My Serve Is The Key’
The Nomadic Life… With Harris
World No. 46 Harris struck a career-high 36 aces past Reilly Opelka on Monday and he’ll need that consistency once again against Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Zverev if he is to become only the fifth unseeded US Open semi-finalist since 2000.
The Cape Town native will be bidding to earn his fourth Top 10 victory (3-6 lifetime). Last month, Harris defeated Rafael Nadal at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and has overcome three seeded players at Flushing Meadows – 25th seed Karen Khachanov, seventh seed Denis Shapovalov and 22nd seed Opelka.
Unseeded US Open Semi-finalist Since 2000
| Grigor Dimitrov | 2019 – l. to Medvedev in SFs |
| Mikhail Kukushkin | 2006 – l. to Roddick in SFs |
| Robby Ginepri | 2005 l. to Agassi in SFs |
| Todd Martin | 2000 – l. to Safin in SFs |