Serbian Novak Djokovic downed Gael Monfils 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 6-2 Wednesday for a place in the U.S. Open semifinals -- though it might just as well be said that Monfils lost twice: once to Djokovic, and once to himself.
Monfils led early in the match, before he decided that it wasn't enough to earn a victory. He had to look good doing it.
Exhibit A: Monfils' attempt at a between-the-legs shot. It differed from the one Roger Federer hit last week in that this one wasn't necessary and didn't work.
Monfils faced the net, and the ball, at the time. As the ball approached, he jumped into the air, hooked his racket over-and-then-under his leg and whacked the ball between his legs… into the net.
In an exhibition, it would have drawn tepid applause for a good attempt. In a real match, with a semifinal on the line, it should have drawn boos.
Monfils, who said he had never played in windier conditions, claimed the shot was more necessary than it might have looked.
"I was going too fast and I was leaning the other way," he said. "The ball came and I just stopped and tried to do it."
In the third set, he tried a jumping forehand with his back to the net, turning in the air. At that point, the match was all but over.
Monfils' performance won't make Roger Rasheed a happy man. The Australian has been coaching Monfils for two-and-a-half years.
Before the match, he said Monfils hadn't achieved half of what he could if he adopted better tactics.
"He's a work in progress," Rasheed said. "Hopefully we'll see the full package at some point."
Unlike Monfils, Djokovic hasn't tried anything fancy this tournament.
He got off to a slow start in the first round, but since then, he's kept it simple with steady, sturdy, economical tennis day after day.
He minimized the effects of the wind on his strokes by volleying much more than usual (he won 40 of 59 approaches).
For sure, he made far too many errors (50) and too few aces (one) -- ugly numbers indeed.
But sometimes ugly isn't the worst thing to be.
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