Djokovic tops Murray for 8th US Open semi in a row

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts during a match against Andy Murray, of Britain, during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, in New York. AP

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic fended off a fading Andy Murray 7-6 (1), 6-7 (1), 6-2, 6-4 in a matchup of past US Open champions to reach the tournament’s semifinals for the eighth consecutive year.

It took a while for the No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Djokovic to push himself out front in a well-played, back-and-forth, 3-hour, 32-minute match that ended after 1 a.m. Thursday.

Djokovic broke the eighth-seeded Murray to go up 3-1 in the third set, then fended off a pair of break points in the next game. On the first, Murray sailed a backhand long to end a 28-stroke point, then leaned over and put a hand on his knee. On the second, he dumped a forehand into the net, then slammed his racket against his right thigh and yelled.

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