Novak Djokovic got annoyed with the US Open crowd but also with chair umpire Damien Dumusois as the Serb stopped play at one point and bluntly asked the umpire what he was going to do about the noisy crowd.
On Tuesday evening, Djokovic made a positive start after taking the opening two sets of his US Open quarterfinal match No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz. With the home player down by two sets, the crowd intensified their support - and at 40/40 in the fourth game of the third set - the seventh-seeded Serb hit a double fault, which gave the American a break point. The crowd very loudly celebrated the Serb's double fault and it didn't sit well with the 38-year-old at all.
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"What are you going to do? All you say is thank you, please, thank you please," an irked Djokovic told umpire Dumusois.
Dumusois seemingly understood the record 24-time Grand Slam champion's frustration, but pretty much told him to let it go.
"It's not gonna help Novak," the umpire responded.
Djokovic lost the set after the incident but still won the match
When the play resumed, Fritz hit a winner to convert his break point and go 3-1 up in the third set before ultimately sealing it. However, Djokovic bounced back in the fourth set and completed a 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-4 win. Later, the four-time US Open champion admitted it was all but an easy match.
"Incredibly close match. It was really anybody's match. I thought I was lucky to save some crucial break points in the second set. I think for most of the second and third set, he was a better player. In these kind of matches, a few points decide the winner," the Serb reflected.
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Djokovic plays against Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinal.
