‘Step by step’ – Novak Djokovic focused on Alexander Zverev, not calendar Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic is refusing to get ahead of himself after he kept his calendar Grand Slam hopes alive by beating Matteo Berrettini at the US Open.

The duo met in the quarterfinals, and Djokovic once again dropped the first set but powered back to dominate the match.

The 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win earned him a semi-final clash with the in-form Alexander Zverev on Friday, with him needing to win the US Open to win men’s tennis’ first calendar Grand Slam for 52 years.

“I’m pumped,” he said, when asked about the upcoming Zverev match and possibility of the calendar Grand Slam.

“The bigger the challenge, the more glory in overcoming it.

“I don’t want to think about it (the final), I’m just focusing on the next match. Let’s go step by step.”

On the match itself, he added: “It was a great match. A lot of energy on court and off the court.

“Matteo is a great player, an established player. Every time we face each other it’s a tight battle. Wasn’t any different tonight.

“When I lost the first set, I managed to forget about it and move on. I was dialled-in, I was locked-in really from the start of the second set.

“I put my tennis to a different level and it was the best three sets I have played so far in the tournament.”