NEW YORK — Top seed Novak Djokovic won a five-set thriller against Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the semifinals of the U.S. Open on Saturday.
Djokovic recovered from a two-sets-to-one deficit to beat Wawrinka 2-6 7-6(4) 3-6 6-3 6-4 in front of a packed house on Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows.
In the late semifinal match Saturday, second-seeded Rafa Nadal turned back France’s Richard Gasquet in three sets to set up a meeting with top seed Novak Djokovic for the men’s singles title.
The Spaniard scored a 6-4 7-6(1) 6-2 victory over the eighth-seeded Gasquet to march into Monday’s final against Djokovic.
The Serb’s supreme fitness levels were crucial as the ninth-seeded Wawrinka became fatigued during the final two sets.
An incredible 21-minute, 30-point game at 1-1 in the fifth set went Wawrinka’s way, but he dropped serve at 2-2 as Djokovic assumed control.
Wawrinka cracked 57 winners to Djokovic’s 38 but a first-serve percentage of 50 proved costly for the Swiss.
Djokovic served out the match to 15 to win in four hours and nine minutes.