NOVAK DJOKOVIC again fought back from a set down to beat Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 and move into the U.S. Open semifinals Wednesday.

For the third straight major, Djokovic faced a bit of trouble against the big-hitting Italian but ultimately solved him.

“Best three sets I’ve played — second, third and fourth — in the tournament so far,” Djokovic said. “I think I managed to raise the level of my tennis. When I dropped the first set, I just went to a different level and I stayed there till the last point. That’s something that definitely encourages me and gives me a lot of confidence.”

The win propels Djokovic into the semifinals, where he’s just two wins away from matching a feat last accomplished by Rod Laver in 1969 of winning all four Slams in the same year and also snatching the all-time major record of 21, which is currently shared with his contemporaries Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Waiting for him in the semifinals is Alexander Zverev, the 24-year old German who came within a couple points of winning the U.S. Open a year ago and defeated Djokovic this summer in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics.

“Against him you prepare that you have to play the best match that you can,” Zverev said Wednesday after advancing to the semifinals with a straight-set win over South Africa’s Lloyd Harris. “You have to be perfect, otherwise you will not win. Most of the time you can’t be perfect. That’s why most of the time people lose to him.”

For 1 hour, 17 minutes, Berrettini was perfect enough with his big serve-big forehand combination to give himself a chance. After breaking at 5-5 with a scorching cross-court passing shot, Berrettini drew four unforced errors from Djokovic in a tight service game to wrap up the first set.

It was the third match in a row at this tournament and ninth time this year in the Grand Slams that Djokovic has started from behind, including when Berrettini won the first set of the Wimbledon final in a tiebreaker. But all of those matches have followed a familiar pattern, with Djokovic immediately raising the level of his game and figuring out how to break his opponent down.

“I was feeling good, playing good,” Berrettini said.

“Just he has this ability — and probably that’s why he’s the best ever. Doesn’t matter how well I play, he just plays better.”

(SD-Agencies)