NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic heard what Andy Roddick said about him and didn’t like it.
Still, as much motivation as Djokovic might have derived from that and as well as he played in their U.S. Open quarterfinal Thursday night, Roddick’s own uncharacteristic serving miscues had a lot to do with the 2003 champion’s 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) loss.
After working his way back from a huge deficit, Roddick was two points from forcing a fifth set at 5-4, 30-love in the fourth. But he double-faulted twice in a row and was broken for the fifth time — twice more than he lost on serve in his first four matches combined.
“You know what? I honestly don’t feel like they were super- tight doubles,” Roddick said. “I had been playing pretty high- risk, high-reward tennis to get back, and I probably wasn’t about to stop.”
But the first question Roddick was asked had to do with his verbal squabble with Djokovic, who took offense at comments the American made about how ill and injured the Serb was after the previous round.
“It was completely meant in jest,” Roddick said. “I should know better. But listen, I joke all the time. I don’t think anyone in their right mind takes me serious.”
In Djokovic’s prior match, a five-set ordeal Tuesday against No. 15 Tommy Robredo, the reigning Australian Open champion called for the trainer more than once as he dealt with hip, ankle, stomach and breathing issues.
Asked then about Djokovic’s problems, Roddick kidded, checking whether the list shouldn’t also include bird flu, anthrax, SARS and a common cold and said: “He’s either quick to call a trainer or he’s the most courageous guy of all time.”
What seemed to rile Djokovic the most was what Roddick said in an on-court interview that day: “I’ve got to feel good. He’s got about 16 injuries right now.”
After beating Roddick, ending the match with a 125 mph serve that drew a long return, Djokovic made reference to those words.
“That’s not nice anyhow to say in front of this crowd that I have 16 injuries and that I’m faking,” Djokovic said during a postmatch interview that drew boos from the spectators in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “They’re already against me because they think I’m faking everything.”
The third-seeded Djokovic advanced to a semifinal meeting against Roger Federer. It’s a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open final, which Federer won for his fourth consecutive title at Flushing Meadows.
Federer — bidding for a 13th major title, one shy of Pete Sampras’ record — beat qualifier Gilles Muller 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (5), extending his own record by reaching the semifinals at an 18th consecutive Grand Slam tournament.
Djokovic is 2-6 against Federer and called him the “absolute favorite.”
Serving at 5-4, having held nine times in a row, Roddick opened with a 142 mph ace and a 143 mph service winner. At 30-love, he was two points from being all tied up.
And right there, all so suddenly, everything came apart.
First, Roddick pushed a forehand wide. Then he double- faulted, not once but twice, to hand over a break point. And Djokovic didn’t let the opportunity pass by, delivering a perfect lob winner to get to 5-5.
The set went to a tiebreaker, and at 5-5 there, the players settled into a 15-stroke point at the baseline that concluded when Roddick missed a backhand slice into the net. Seconds later, the match was over, and Djokovic was pounding his fists on his chest.
And only moments after that, he was inciting boos.
The other men’s semifinal pairs No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 6 Andy Murray.
