Djokovic joins US$100m club, Wawrinka in semis
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NOVAK Djokovic had 100 million reasons to celebrate reaching the French Open quarterfinals yesterday — albeit two days later than expected — as players made a mad dash to clear the fourth-round backlog created by the fickle Parisian weather.
The Serbian world No. 1 became the first tennis player to bank US$100 million in prize money after his 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 win over Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut tipped him over the magic number.
However, the fourth-round winner’s check is a far cry from the real prize Djokovic has his eyes on this week.
What he desperately wants is to get his hands on the Musketeers’ Cup to complete his grand slam collection.
After winning a match that was originally scheduled for Monday, began on Tuesday and was finally completed yesterday, the 29-year-old will have to play four days in succession if he is to reach Sunday’s title showdown at Roland Garros.
“I have the feeling I played three matches against him,” a grinning Djokovic told the crowd after donning a yellow rain hat during his victory speech.
“Yesterday the match was interrupted three times and it wasn’t easy coming here at 9 am and leaving at 7.30 or 8:00pm.
“So that’s the reason why we should have the roof here. I’m hoping we’re going to have it very soon,” added the Serb after joining athletes such as golfer Tiger Woods and boxer Lennox Lewis in the US$100 million club.
Djokovic will be back today to contest his 28th successive major quarterfinal against Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, a 6-3 7-5 6-3 winner over 2013 runner-up David Ferrer.
In contrast, Austrian tyro Dominic Thiem was enjoying his most successful run at a grand slam after beating Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-2 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Belgian David Goffin.
Meanwhile, defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka became the oldest man since 1985 to reach the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7) win over Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Third seed Wawrinka, 31, will next face British second seed Andy Murray, who rallied past local favorite Richard Gasquet 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 6-2.
Jimmy Connors was 32 when he reached the last four in Paris in 1985.
With only two hours of play possible over the previous two days as Parisians were hit by monsoon-like showers, the women in top seed Serena Williams’s half of the draw had also been left bogged down in the fourth round for 48 hours.
Hence it was little surprise they were all in a hurry to play catch-up yesterday.
Williams is no stranger to playing in front of capacity crowds but barely a couple of hundred spectators bothered to turn up at the 15,000-seater Philippe Chatrier Court as she began her tussle against 18th seed Elina Svitolina.
However, one person who was there to witness the champion’s 6-,1 6-1 walloping of Svitolina was her former on-court rival, four-time champion Justine Henin, who advised the Ukrainian.
However, there will be no Williams family reunion after Swiss eighth-seed Timea Bacsinszky ambushed Serena’s elder sister Venus 6-2, 6-4.
Bacsinszky will next face Kiki Bertens after the Dutch outsider downed American 15th seed Madison Keys 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Serena will take on another unexpected quarterfinalist in the shape of Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who beat Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 7-5.
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