New York: Novak Djokovic tipped his hat to Serena and Venus Williams ahead of their 27th career meeting but admitted Sunday he would find it impossible to play his own brother.
The world number one has two tennis-playing younger brothers - 24-year-old Marko and Djorde, who’s 20.
Both play on the sport’s lower-level tours, which suits Djokovic just fine.
That’s a luxury which neither Serena nor Venus can afford as they clash again on Tuesday for a place in the US Open semi-finals with Serena chasing a calendar Grand Slam.
“The first thing that comes to my mind is how would I feel to play my brother, and I don’t think that would be possible, honestly,” said Djokovic after reaching his 26th Grand Slam quarter-final Sunday in New York. The 2011 champion survived a scare to beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to set-up a clash against Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez in what will also be his ninth US Open last-eight place in a row.
“In a way I admire what they’re doing for so many years to play against each other on such a big stage. It’s strange. They are sisters. They live together. They grew up together playing tennis.
Djokovic gave up a 4-2 lead in the second set and saw an early break clawed back in the fourth by the 23rd seeded Agut, a former junior footballer with Villarreal in Spain.
The Serb was also broken when serving for the match at 5-2 as Agut unleashed a barrage of deep, murderous forehands before steadying himself to claim his 60th win of the year.
“He fought and hung in there. It was a great match,” said Djokovic, who hit 42 winners but also committed 37 unforced errors.
“I had a couple of points to break for 5-2 in the second set but I didn’t capitalise and the match turned around.
“He made me work for it - there were no free points.”
Lopez, 33, reached his first US Open quarter-final at the 14th attempt with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Italy’s Fabio Fognini, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal in the previous round.
“Lopez is not the typical Spanish player. He comes into the net on first and second serve. He serves and volleys, uses a lot of slice,” said Djokovic.
Lopez, the 18th seed, said Djokovic will hold the cards having won all of the pair’s five meetings.
The Spanish left-hander has only ever taken one set off Djokovic and that was in their first meeting at the 2007 Australian Open.
Defending champion Marin Cilic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga set-up Tuesday’s other quarter-final clash. Cilic made the last eight for the fourth time with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) 6-1 win over France’s Jeremy Chardy.
Cilic, the Croatian ninth seed, took his record in New York to 11 successive wins after capturing his maiden Grand Slam title in the city last year.
But the 26-year-old had to overcome an injury scare in the second set to stay alive in the tournament when he rolled his right ankle.
“I twisted my ankle in the second set but I tried not to let it affect my movement,” he said.
“In the first few games of the third set, I was conscious of it but after that I didn’t have any trouble.”
Cilic fired 23 aces and 52 winners in his win.
French 19th seed Tsonga reached his second New York quarter-final with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over unseeded compatriot Benoit Paire, the man who opened up the draw by knocking out fourth seed Kei Nishikori in the first round.
The 30-year-old Tsonga has now held all 56 service games at the tournament.
Cilic has a 4-1 career lead over Tsonga in main tour matches, winning the pair’s last three without dropping a set.
Tsonga’s only win was in the 2011 Cincinnati Masters. “I have the feeling that I am playing my best tennis and I hope this will continue,” said Tsonga, who made the quarter-finals four years ago.
