Rafael Nadal believes he is treated the same as any other player in terms of shot-clock violations – even if John McEnroe suggests otherwise.

Nadal became engaged in a slightly awkward exchange with a reporter following his first-round win at the US Open on Tuesday.

After beating Rinky Hijikata 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3, it was put to the Spaniard that there are "different rules for Rafael Nadal than there are for everybody else".

The reporter referred to comments from McEnroe, who has asked why Nadal was not punished for taking more than 25 seconds to serve.

Nadal was amused by both the question and McEnroe's comments, replying: "Yeah, I think it's a joke.

"I went through a lot of warnings under my tennis career – never for breaking a racquet, never for doing a mess on court, but yes, for the time clock.

"I have a problem that I am sweating a lot. When you are playing during these very humid conditions, we have a biggest problem today, that is we don't have the ballboys bringing the towel to you for the last couple of years. You have to go to the farthest place of the court to take the towel.

"The problem for players like me that are sweating that much, you know when you go to pick up the towel, you're going to be in trouble with the time. So I am not going very often.

"I don't think I have a different treatment from the umpires at all.

"I never said that [there should be different rules for Nadal]. I am following the rules. If I am having more than 25 seconds, I receive a warning every single time.

"If not, check the clock. I don't know if you want to create [something].

"I don't think I'm receiving a different treatment at all. I don't understand why John can say that on the TV. But I'm going to have a chat with him later."

Rafael Nadal survived an early scare against world number 198 Rinky Hijikata, steadying after dropping the first set to run away with a 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3 victory.

The first set saw the 21-year-old Australian play out of his skin in the biggest match of his life, hitting 11 winners in the frame, before only being able to muster a combined 15 winners in the next three sets.

Nadal also left the door open, with one of his two double faults in the match leading to Hijikata's only break point opportunity from the first three sets, and he took full advantage before serving it out.

From that point on, it would be all Nadal as he found his footing, winning the points from 14 out of his 15 accurate first serves in the second set, before his second serve lifted in the third frame, taking 11 of those 13 opportunities.

A competitive fourth set meant Nadal had to save three break points, but only after he had already secured a break of his own and was cruising towards the finish line. 

He needed five match points to finish off the determined Aussie, but he got the job done after three hours and 12 minutes of action, booking his place against Italy's Fabio Fognini in the second round.

Data Slam: Nadal's uncharacteristic start

The last time Rafael Nadal lost the opening set of a grand slam match against an opponent ranked outside of the top-100, it was five years ago at the 2017 US Open against Taro Daniel. It was a similar story on that day, as the Spaniard then rattled off the next three sets 6-3 6-2 6-2 without issue.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Nadal – 43/22

Hijikata – 27/33

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Nadal – 9/2

Hijikata – 7/4

BREAK POINTS WON

Nadal – 5/10

Hijikata – 1/4

Nick Kyrgios hopes he never has to face Thanasi Kokkinakis again after eliminating his close friend and doubles partner in the opening round of the US Open.

The Wimbledon runner-up began his latest quest for a maiden singles grand slam crown with a routine 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.

It marked the first time the pair, who won the doubles event on home soil at the Australian Open in January, have met in a tour-level match.

Kyrgios will also partner Kokkinakis in the US Open doubles, and the 27-year-old did not enjoy facing his compatriot in singles competition.

"When we both saw the draw, it was a nightmare, honestly," Kyrgios said. "We never want to play each other. 

"I've just got so much respect for him. I can't wait to get out there and play doubles with him on the right side of the net.

"We just know each other's games like the back of our hand. We've played together since we were about nine years old. 

"He knows my game well. I know his game extremely well. I just played the bigger points well early on. We're going to play each other, hopefully, never again."

Kyrgios will now take on Benjamin Bonzi, who beat fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert in five sets to advance at Flushing Meadows.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a shot at rising to the number one ranking at the 2022 US Open but instead he is out in the first round following a four-set loss to Daniel Galan on Monday.

The world number 94 stunned recent Western and Southern Open finalist Tsitsipas in the first two sets by winning the first 11 games of the match, before the Greek rallied but Galan would triumph 6-0 6-1 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 48 minutes.

World number five Tsitsipas, who has never gone beyond the third round at Flushing Meadows, did need treatment for a forearm tightness but admitted he was simply "dominated" by Galan who eventually prevailed on his ninth match point.

The 24-year-old had some form after reaching the final in Cincinnati earlier this month, losing to Borna Coric, and felt it was a missed opportunity, in the absence of Novak Djokovic, to press his case for the top rank across the next fortnight.

"I was very motivated and pumped before the US Open started because I knew I could use this tournament to get closer to the number one spot," Tsitsipas said.

"It would be very weird and very unusual if it didn’t cross my mind, because this is something I wanted since I was a kid and I know this is my chance now to step it up.

"It just didn’t go as planned. Sometimes you just need to let it go, you don’t need to overthink it, you don’t need to push yourself too hard but at the same time it’s difficult because there’s this open opportunity right in front of you, you don’t want to mess it up, you don’t want to waste it."

"My chances are a bit smaller. The margin is not as thin as it used to be now after the US Open but I’m still going to try and add points to my ranking, as much as I can until the end of the year, I really want to perhaps finish in the top three… more opportunities ahead."

Tsitsipas, who only won seven points in the opening set, hit 57 unforced errors for the match compared to Galan's 36.

The Greek only managed 28 winners, with Galan hitting 41, while the Colombian also had the better of the all the key serve categories, winning 74 per cent on his first serve.

"He dominated the match," Tsitsipas said. "I just couldn't get into it."

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem has been bundled out at Flushing Meadows in the first round by Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5 6-1 5-7 6-3 on Monday.

The Austrian, who was back to defend his 2020 title after missing last year due to a wrist injury, was no match for the 12th-seeded Spaniard, despite coming in with a 7-0 head-to-head record.

Four-time Grand Slam finalist Thiem has struggled for the past 14 months, with a mix of injury and form, only gaining entry at the US Open with a wild card.

Thiem is now ranked 211th in the world and has a 9-10 record this season, albeit with an improved past two months.

Former world number three Thiem had waited 426 days between ATP Tour level wins, when he triumphed at the Swedish Open in July this year.

Carreno Busta, who won in Montreal earlier this month, won in three hours and 18 minutes, rallying back from a 2-4 deficit early to peel off 10 of the next 11 games and claim a two-set lead.

Thiem responded in the third set by breaking in the second game, with Carreno Busta committing more unforced errors, but the Austrian could not maintain the pressure in the fourth.

The Austrian hit 44-31 winners but was not helped by unforced errors (54-32), while his first serve percentage was down at 59 per cent, winning only 58 per cent on his first serve.

Daniil Medvedev says he is not feeling the "extra pressure" of being the defending US Open champion after easing to a 6-2 6-4 6-0 victory over Stefan Kozlov in the first round.

The Russian won the first grand slam title of his career last year when he defeated Novak Djokovic at Flushing Meadows, and started his defence in dominant fashion on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday.

The world number one broke American outsider Kozlov eight times in a one-sided encounter in New York, in which he struck 37 winners and committed 19 unforced errors 

Top seed Medvedev does not feel burdened by being the man who won the final major of the year in 2021.

"[There is] a little bit [of] extra pressure [in being the defending champion]," he stated, "But mostly, I don't feel it, to be honest.

"Probably the only pressure is I know if I'm not going to play good here, for whatever reason... I will not care that I won it last year, I will just be disappointed that this year did not work out my way."

Medvedev will face Arthur Rinderknech next on Wednesday, after the Frenchman defeated his compatriot Quentin Halys in four sets on day one.

Andy Murray equalled Lleyton Hewitt by claiming his 47th main-draw win at the US Open as he came through a tricky first-round clash with Francisco Cerundolo.

Just under 10 years on from his maiden grand slam triumph at Flushing Meadows, where he famously beat Novak Djokovic in a near five-hour final, Murray overcame 24th seed Cerundolo in relatively short order.

The world number 51 produced one of the more impressive performances since his return from hip surgery to win 7-5 6-3 6-3 in two hours and 42 minutes on the Louis Armstrong Stadium court.

It is a success that moved him level with Australian great Hewitt, with whom he now shares ninth place on the all-time list for the most main-draw wins in New York.

Additionally, it marked Murray's first straight-sets win at a grand slam since his fourth-round victory over Benoit Paire at Wimbledon in 2017.

Cerundolo, meanwhile, is still awaiting his first main-draw win at a major.

He has enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning his first ATP title at the Swedish Open in July and reaching a career-high ranking of 24, but fell at the first hurdle for the third successive major having failed to qualify for the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Murray will play John Millman or Emilio Nava in the second round.

Nick Kyrgios declared he would welcome an early exit from the US Open ahead of his first-round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis, claiming he remains "exhausted" following his run to the Wimbledon final.

Kyrgios came close to clinching his first grand slam title when he met Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in July, taking the opener but ultimately succumbing to defeat in four sets on Centre Court.

The enigmatic Australian, who has never gone beyond the third round of the US Open, will begin his final major campaign of the year against his compatriot and doubles partner Kokkinakis on Monday.

But the 27-year-old is not enamoured by the prospect of a deep run in New York, revealing he struggles with being away from his homeland while playing on the ATP Tour.

"A big part of me just wants the US Open to be over so I can go home," he said on Sunday.

"It's brutal not being able to have the normality of your own bed or your own family for so long and then you have to deal with all this.

"The media, the fans, the training, the matches, the pressure, especially on my spectrum as well – it's not normal. So it's hard. It's really hard.

"I'm definitely feeling very exhausted. Just after Wimbledon, I didn't even have time to enjoy it.

"Everyone gets to go home on the tour. They get to take a cheeky little flight back home to reset. There's just no other type of tennis player who really understands that [homesickness] apart from the Australians.

"Whether I win or lose, it's going to be the same for me. It's a win-win for me. If I win, it's more money and another great result. If I lose, I get to go home."

Asked what he had gained from his thrilling Wimbledon run, Kyrgios said: "The confidence in myself to be able to do it over two weeks. Staying in a single spot for two to three weeks can be exhausting. 

"To know that I can do that and go about things the right way and take every practice session, every recovery session, the right way, it's confidence in the back of my mind. 

"But also, I'm the type of player that if I had won Wimbledon, I probably wouldn't have played the US Open."

Meanwhile, the US Open is set to mark a final grand slam appearance for legendary 23-time major singles champion Serena Williams, and Kyrgios believes she deserves to be considered the greatest player in the sport's history.

"Obviously it's a very special moment for her. She's probably the greatest of all time," he added.

"Whether or not we see anyone live the career that she has? I don't think that's possible."

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci does not foresee a dream US Open triumph for the retiring legend, but believes the Flushing Meadows crowd could help her enjoy a strong run.

Williams, who announced she was "evolving away" from tennis earlier this month, will begin her final US Open campaign against Danka Kovinic on Monday.

While the 40-year-old's tally of 23 grand slam titles is the most of any player in the Open Era (since 1968), she remains one victory short of Margaret Court's all-time record of 24. 

But Macci, who coached both Williams and older sister Venus at the beginning of their trophy-laden careers, struggles to see her adding one final title before signing off.

"They asked me can Serena Williams win the US Open and I said she already has, six times," Macci told Stats Perform. 

"Can she? It's highly unlikely simply because people aren't afraid of her, the movement and confidence aren't like it was because she hasn't played, she hasn't played that much in the last year and you need to play to get your footwork and stamina. 

"The fighting spirit, the Compton street fight and the heart is there. If she gets a good draw, she could beat some people. I like how she played against [Emma] Raducanu [a 6-4 6-0 loss in Cincinnati earlier in August], I like that she's more aggressive, but this takes time. 

"If she can win a few matches who knows what could happen? That crowd in New York is going to take her down memory lane and make her even more competitive, who knows what's going to happen to the person on the other side of the net?

"That's why I was so impressed with Raducanu, the way she handled that moment, she played the best match she had in a year. 

"It cuts both ways but it's highly unlikely she can win the Open. 

"She's not even looking at it like that, she's letting everyone savour the moment and going out on her terms and it's going to be must-see tv."

Asked who he thought would emerge victorious at Flushing Meadows, Macci tipped another American to win on home soil, adding: "I'd love to see Coco Gauff because I know the family and I think she has wonderful potential.

"Iga [Swiatek] is vulnerable now because when you win 35 in a row, you feel like you just show up you're going to win. 

"Now that she's lost a few there's a little doubt there. It's wide open, I'm going to go out on a limb and I'm taking Coco Gauff."

As for the men's draw, which appears balanced after Novak Djokovic's non-vaccinated status prevented him from travelling to New York, Macci thinks third seed Carlos Alcaraz could be set for a maiden grand slam win.

"I've already gone out there and talked about this, Carlos Alcaraz is a generational player, he's going to transcend the game," Macci added.

"I've already had people blow back on me like, 'why isn't he winning?' Trust me, he just turned 19 and is [number] four or five in the world, I think he'll win multiple grand slams and he's the next real deal and he's my favourite to win the US Open on the men's side."

Djokovic is not alone in missing the US Open, with Roger Federer also absent as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, while Rafael Nadal is making his first appearance at the slam since triumphing in 2019.

Four different men have tasted success at Flushing Meadows in the last four years, while each of the last three editions have featured different women's singles champions, and Macci believes the issues endured by several ageing greats have made tennis more competitive.

"I think a lot of people are heading toward exit stage left and they're not quite at the top, [such as] Federer, or maybe there's the vaccination and maybe Nadal you're not quite where you were and [Andy] Murray," he added.

"Then you've got Serena, you've got these people who are household names that are out of the equation, more people are coming in and it changes everything when you don't have those roadblocks at the round of 16. 

"You're looking at the semis when before, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray just dominated. There was a time when those four were always in the semis. The women's you could almost predict, now you can't.

"It has nothing to do with the US Open because the young lady that won Wimbledon [Elena Rybakina], you never heard of her. It's just wide open and it's going to take a while to stabilise everything." 

Adrian Mannarino won the second ATP Tour title of his career when he defeated Laslo Djere 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 in the final of the Winston-Salem Open on Saturday.

Mannarino, 34, entered the match with a 1-9 record from his 10 career final appearances, but capped off his incredible week with his fifth consecutive straight-sets win.

On his way to the decider, Mannarino eliminated ninth seed Emil Ruusuvuori, eighth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, fourth seed Maxime Cressy and second seed Botic van de Zandschulp.

Against Djere, Mannarino stuck to what he had done all week, which was limiting his own errors and taking advantage of his opponent's mistakes.

The Frenchman committed 12 less unforced errors (29-to-17), while also controlling the game with his serve, winning 78 per cent (49-of-63) of his service points compared to 63 per cent (45-of-71) for Djere.

It was actually the Serbian who secured the first break of the match, but it would also be his last break of the match as Mannarino tightened the screws, not allowing a single break point opportunity in the second set.

With the win, and the 250 ranking points, Mannarino will rise 20 places up to 45th in the world.

There seems to be no escaping the number 23 for Serena Williams as she prepares for an emotional final grand slam at the US Open.

It is 23 years since the legendary American won her first major singles title at Flushing Meadows, where she was also crowned doubles champion back in 1999.

Williams has gone on to win an astonishing 23 grand slam singles titles and 14 major doubles titles in an incredible career that is about to come to an end in New York.

One of the all-time greats turns 42 next month and although she is unlikely to bow out by claiming an elusive 24th major singles title in her home major, she is sure to be given a spine-tingling farewell.

Novak Djokovic's absence due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19 has been the big talking point in the men's singles, with Rafael Nadal getting an opportunity to extend his record tally of major successes.

Stats Perform picks out the standout numbers to preview the final major of the year as Emma Raducanu and Daniil Medvedev prepare to defend their titles.

Serena's incredible longevity

Such is the remarkable longevity of Williams' career, defending champion Raducanu and world number one Iga Swiatek were not even born when she won her first major.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was only a few months old when the iconic Saginaw native beat Martina Hingis in the 1999 US Open final for the first of so many major titles.

Only Chris Evert can boast as many US Open titles as Williams' tally of six in the Open Era, while she has played in a record 10 finals at Flushing Meadows.

The retiring veteran has 106 victories in her home major, a record in the Open Era, and only Martina Navratilova has recorded more wins in a single major - with 120 at Wimbledon.

Williams will be making her 21st main-draw appearance at the US Open, with only her older sister, Venus, bettering that figure in the Open Era as she prepares for her 23rd.

Long-awaited New York return for Nadal 

Nadal has not played at Flushing Meadows since he was crowned champion for a fourth time three years ago, having missed the 2020 tournament amid the coronavirus pandemic and not played last year due to a foot injury.

The Spanish great's hopes of completing a first calendar Grand Slam were ended by an abdominal injury that resulted in his withdrawal from Wimbledon ahead of a scheduled semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

He could make it three major titles out of four this year in New York, though, where he will be bidding to take his haul of grand slam titles to 23 and move two clear of the absent Djokovic once again.

If Nadal lifts the trophy on Arthur Ashe Stadium, it would give him a record-equalling fifth US Open men's singles title - matching the haul of Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.

Only Bjorn Borg (89.2 per cent) has a higher winning ratio in grand slam tournaments during the Open Era than Nadal's 88.3 per cent among players with at least 100 victories to their name, 

Another record in women's singles?

Teenage Brit Raducanu made history when she became the first qualifier to win a major title last year, beating Leylah Fernandez in the final.

Swiatek has dominated the women's game for much of this year, the highlight being her second French Open triumph.

With the retired Ash Barty, Swiatek and Rybakina taking the singles titles in 2022, there could be four different gram slam champions for a fifth consecutive season - excluding 2020 - and that would be the longest such streak in the Open Era.

Alcaraz to make major breakthrough?

While Nadal will be the Spaniard with the largest burden of expectation on his shoulders, Carlos Alcaraz should be a big threat in New York.

The 19-year-old could become the fifth player in the Open Era to reach at least the quarter-finals in his first two appearances at Flushing Meadows after Ken Rosewall, Arthur Ashe, John Newcombe and Johan Kriek.

Alcaraz has the joint-most ATP Tour titles this year with four, matching Nadal's tally.

Rafael Nadal described Novak Djokovic's absence from the US Open as "very sad" after the Serbian revealed he would not compete at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic announced he would not be making the trip to New York on Thursday, due to visitors to the United States being required to display proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The US Open will represent the second grand slam Djokovic has missed this year, after his unvaccinated status saw him deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open in January.

Nadal is one of the most likely players to benefit from Djokovic's absence as he bids to win a 23rd grand slam title, but the Spaniard expressed sympathy for his rival as he prepared to begin his US Open campaign against Rinky Hijikata next week.

"From my personal perspective, it's very sad news," Nadal said. "It's always a shame when the best players in the world are not able to play a tournament because of injuries or because of different reasons.

"It's tough for the fans, tough for the tournament. In my opinion, tough for the players, too, because we want to have the best field possible."

Nadal's clash with Hijikata will represent his first outing at Flushing Meadows since he beat Daniil Medvedev to win the 2019 title, and injuries have caused him to miss four of the last 10 editions of the tournament.

Roger Federer, another of Nadal's great rivals, will also miss the competition after undergoing three knee operations in two years, but the Spaniard believes the major championships can cope with the absences of tennis' aging stars.

"The world of tennis [will] keep going, even if it is not good news for everyone," he added. "The world continues and the tennis will continue after me, after Novak, after Roger.

"Without a doubt, Novak is one of the most important players of the last 20 years, [in] the history of our sport. In a personal way, I feel sorry for him that he's not able to travel here."

Meanwhile, Federer is hoping to return to the court for September's Laver Cup, where he will join Nadal and Djokovic in a star-studded Team Europe line-up, and the Swiss maestro's old foe is desperate to see him make his long-awaited comeback.

"I'm super excited to see Roger again on court, of course," Nadal said. "I hope he's healthy enough to make that happen.

"It has been a long period of time without Roger on court so I really hope that he can manage to be back.

"The most important thing at this stage of his career is the health and the happiness, no? If he's healthy enough and happy enough to be back on the tennis tour, it will be amazing. 

"If not, we can say thanks to him for everything that he achieved. I am confident that we will keep having Roger for a while."

It will be an all-unseeded final at the Winston-Salem Open after Adrian Mannarino eliminated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-0 6-4 in the semi-final.

Van de Zandschulp, the tournament's second seed, was the last seeded entrant remaining in the draw.

In a dominant first set, Mannarino won 80 per cent (12-of-15) of his service points to not allow his Dutch opponent any openings, and he took advantage of some sloppy play.

Van de Zandschulp committed four double faults and 16 unforced errors in the opening set, while Mannarino had no double faults and only one unforced error as the 34-year-old played a veteran's game and allowed his opponent to beat himself.

Overall, Van de Zandschulp committed 20 more unforced errors and five more double faults in the loss.

Mannarino will play Serbia's Laslo Djere in the final, with a chance to win his second career ATP Tour title. His sole title came at the Netherlands' Rosmalen Championships back in 2019. He has a career record of 1-9 in finals.

Djere made it through after yet another grinding affair, defeating Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) in two hours and 20 minutes.

All five of his wins this week have required over two hours of court time, with this being his first straight sets result.

In a match that saw each player secure one break of serve, Djere was just slightly better throughout, winning 52 per cent (98-of-189) of the total points, while building a 37-24 advantage in the winners category and serving 10 aces to Huesler's four.

Serena Williams' former trainer Rick Macci has branded Novak Djokovic's omission from the US Open as "a joke".

The three-time winner of the US Open announced on Thursday that he would not play in the event this year, having been denied entry to the United States due to vaccination rules.

It is not the first time Djokovic's non-vaccinated status has hindered his grand slam involvement, having been deported ahead of the Australian Open earlier this year.

Djokovic had hoped to be able to feature, with the US Tennis Association saying it would adhere to any policy change by the US government that allowed him to play, but no changes were announced by the CDC.

While the Serbian will be able to feature next year, Macci has hit out at the regulations and believes it is bad for the sport.

"I don't like it, it's bad for tennis. I'm not losing sleep over it but he played last year, COVID was worse," he said.

"He played the year before, COVID was a lot worse. Now it's in the rear-view mirror but he's not vaccinated, they don't let people in the country, it's a joke.

"It makes no sense whatsoever, it's the government. It makes no sense, zero. I don't think tennis has anything to do with it. It's the government, you've got to be vaccinated to come in, it's unfortunate.

"It applies to, in my opinion, not only the best player in the world but many other people that aren't vaccinated, that maybe it affected your business, visiting relatives or whatever it impacted.

"It's just front and centre because Djoker [Djokovic], who I feel will go down as the greatest player ever to hold a racket, if he's allowed to play tournaments.

"It looks like if you don't get vaccinated, who knows where this is going to go. I'm not in favour of it and I think they should have made a special exception, but if they do it for him, they've got to do it for everybody."

Botic van de Zandschulp is the only seeded player remaining at the Winston-Salem Open, advancing to the semi-final after winning a pair of tiebreakers against Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-1).

Van de Zandschulp, the second seed, is yet to lose a set in the tournament after straight sets wins against Tallon Griekspoor and Jaume Munar, and he used his dominant serve to get the job done against France's Bonzi.

The Dutchman had 15 aces while Bonzi had three, and he posted 50 winners to Bonzi's 24 in a terrific exhibition of power tennis.

Van de Zandschulp, 26, will face Adrian Mannarino in the semi-final as the 34-year-old seeks his second career ATP Tour title, beating Maxime Cressy 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

Fourth seed Cressy was Mannarino's third consecutive seeded scalp, having also defeated ninth seed Emil Ruusuvuori and eighth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas to make it this far.

Cressy's 10 double faults and 26 unforced errors shot himself in the foot, as the veteran Mannarino played a clean match, posting two double faults and eight unforced errors.

Serbia's Laslo Djere has taken the scenic route to the semi-final, winning his fourth three-set match of the week as he edged past Richard Gasquet 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 43 minutes.

It comes after a three-hour-11-minute marathon against Jason Kubler in the previous round, and a two-hour-50-minute war of attrition against Joao Sousa prior to that.

Djere will hope to have some more gas in the tank when he meets Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler in the semi-final after he upset 13th seed Jack Draper 6-4 6-4.