Djokovic into semis as Tipsarevic retires

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Top seed Novak Djokovic advanced to the semi-finals of the U.S. Open on Thursday when his Serbian Davis Cup team mate Janko Tipsarevic retired in the fourth set of their quarter-final match.

Djokovic had been leading 7-6 6-7 6-0 3-0 when Tipsarevic, whose leg was strapped during the match, quit after three hours, 27 minutes of play at Arthur Ashe Stadium after feeling sharp pain in his left leg.

"The fact is that it's a quarter-finals and he's first time in his career in the quarter-finals of a grand slam. He really put a great effort out there," Djokovic said.

"And then physically, unfortunately, he couldn't hold on. You could see that he could not move as well as he did in (the first) two and a half hours."

Tipsarevic said he might have tried to push on through the discomfort were it not for defending champion Serbia's Davis Cup semi-final next weekend against Argentina.

"You know, that's his decision. I cannot comment on that," Djokovic said.

"I support anything he does because he's my friend and I know him well, and I know he's somebody who doesn't like to retire.

"Definitely he's a big fighter, and that just says how much he respects his country and how much he appreciates to play for his country. He wants to be fit."

Australian and Wimbledon champion Djokovic won the first-set tie-break 7-2, and lost the second 7-3 before surging ahead as his compatriot began slowing down.

The world number one also gave onlookers a scare when he doubled over and called for the trainer after making a spectacular sliding forehand winner in the first game of the fourth set.

After getting the big toe on his left foot treated and bandaged, Djokovic went back to business before the 20th-seeded Tipsarevic signaled he had had enough.

"My left toe is bleeding," explained Djokovic. "These things happen all the time when you're sliding like I do."

Djokovic will meet the winner of Thursday's night match between five-time Open winner Roger Federer and France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.