Novak Djokovic reaches 7th straight US Open semi

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, celebrates after defeating Mikhail Youzhny, of Russia, during the men’s quarterfinal round at the 2013 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, in New York. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

NEW YORK – Top-seeded Novak Djokovic quickly overcame a one-set lull to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the seventh consecutive year, beating 21st-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 on Thursday night.

Djokovic, the 2011 champion at Flushing Meadows, won his first four matches of the tournament in straight sets. But he faltered in the third set of his quarterfinal against Youzhny , making 16 unforced errors and getting broken twice.

Djokovic next faces ninth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka, who upset defending champion Andy Murray 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday.

While Wawrinka will making his major semifinal debut Saturday, Djokovic will be trying to reach his fifth U.S. Open final. In addition to his title, he was the runner-up in New York in 2007, 2010 and 2012.

Djokovic is 12-2 against Wawrinka.