World No. 1 Novak Djokovic wilted under pressure from Daniil Medvedev, falling 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to the ninth-seeded Russian in the Cincinnati Masters semifinals here on Saturday.
Medvedev’s upset win sent him into a title showdown with another unexpected finalist, 16th-seeded Belgian David Goffin, who defeated France’s Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
A fuming Djokovic, who looked to have control of the contest, was caught out when Medvedev stepped things up in the second set.
Crowd support
“I had a momentum chance in the second set and the crowd gave me energy,” added the Russian, who will be playing his second Masters final in eight days, after falling to Rafael Nadal in Montreal last Sunday.
Medvedev also beat Djokovic in their last meeting, on clay at Monte Carlo in April.
Medvedev won 12 of the last 14 points in the second set to square the match, then ran up a 3-1 lead in the third on the way to victory on his first match-point.
He’s 1-1 against Goffin, with both matches played this season — at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
There was an upset in the women’s draw as well, as Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated top-seeded Australian Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-4.
Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion who has been hindered lately by injury, will be in search of her 19th WTA title — and her first in more than a year — when she takes on American Madison Keys.
Keys, the 2017 US Open runner-up, defeated compatriot Sofia Kenin 7-5, 6-4.
Kuznetsova denied Barty a chance to reclaim the World No. 1 ranking, which the Australian would have done by reaching the final. Instead, Kuznetsova’s win leaves injured Naomi Osaka atop the rankings.
Off the boil
Barty, who had rallied from a set down in each of her previous two matches, was off the boil against Kuznetsova, who is back in form after several seasons of injuries, including a wrist problem.
Keys booked her final spot winning an all-American match littered with 12 breaks of serve.
The results (semifinals): Men: Daniil Medvedev bt Novak Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; David Goffin bt 6-3, 6-4.
Women: Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-4; Madison Keys bt Sofia Kenin 7-5, 6-4.
