Yet at a time when the top two players, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, are performing at such a high level, the gulf between the second- and ninth-ranked players is so great. As Djokovic's level continued to rise, at no point yesterday afternoon did he ever look threatened in his straightforward 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Fritz.
As usual, another deep run at a major tournament brings more records for next week's world No 1. The 36-year-old has now reached a men's record 47th career grand slam semi-final, breaking his tie with his old rival Roger Federer.
"Obviously, this is the sport that has given me so much in my life," said Djokovic on what these numbers mean to him. "Coming from Serbia, a war-torn country in the 90s when I was playing tennis, I had to face a lot of adversity that I had to endure even to get a shot to travel and play my sport.
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