Top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert are a match away from playing for a second consecutive US Open doubles title. The Frenchman reached the semi-finals in Flushing Meadows on Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win against Swede Robert Lindstedt and Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.

Mahut/Herbert hit eight aces and never faced break point in the one-hour and 24-minute match. They’ll face familiar opponents in the semi-finals: Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. The fourth seeds outlasted Aussie Chris Guccione and Brazilian Andre Sa 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-3 in two hours and 23 minutes. Murray/Soares erased seven of nine break points faced and won exactly one more point than their opponents.

Read: Murray/Soares Qualify For London

“Happy to get through today,” Murray said. “It was a stressful match. We came back strong in the third set.”

Murray/Soares played Mahut/Herbert in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters final on clay in April. The Frenchmen won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final 4-6, 6-0, 10-6. Murray, playing with Aussie John Peers, also faced the duo in last year’s US Open doubles final, which Mahut/Herbert won 6-4, 6-4.

“Tomorrow we will be more relaxed, ready to give our all,” Murray said. “We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Game on.”

In the third of a special series of interviews with Roger Federer at home in Switzerland, the 35 year old reveals what makes the US Open fans so special.

The Swiss, a five-time champion at the US Open, also gives his opinion on how the new roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium would raise the level of play, especially in the latter stages of the tournament. 

A lot can happen in 10 years, but little has changed for Novak Djokovic at the US Open. As it has been the case for every year since 2007, the Serbian is into the last four at the year’s final Grand Slam event. American tennis legend Jimmy Connors holds the record with 12 straight semi-final showings.

“I put myself in a position again to be one match away from the final. As the tournament progresses, I feel like I’m getting better,” Djokovic said. “I’m reaching my peak in terms of my form.”

The World No. 1 and defending US Open champion advanced on Tuesday night when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired due to a knee injury, with Djokovic leading 6-3, 6-2. He first announced himself to the New York crowd with a run to the final in 2007 (l. to Federer), then captured the title in 2011 (d. Nadal) and 2015 (d. Federer).

Even if fully healthy, Tsonga would have had his hands full with the in-form Djokovic. The Serbian won their first tour-level meeting to claim his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open eight years ago and came into the match with a 15-6 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. In the two sets played on Tuesday night, Djokovic once against used his superior defensive acumen to nullify Tsonga’s booming inside-out forehand, and guided his two-handed backhands down the line to exploit the Frenchman’s court positioning.

Djokovic amassed 18 winners and 12 unforced errors during the abbreviated match, while Tsonga, frequently going for broke due to his impaired movement, hit 11 winners and 36 unforced errors. One of the best returners in the game, the Serbian won 18 of 25 points when facing the Tsonga second serve.

In the semi-finals, Djokovic will face Gael Monfils for the 13th time at tour-level. The FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup has been a favorable one for Djokovic over the years. He leads the series 12-0 and has not dropped a set to the Frenchman in more than two years.

“I love watching Gael,” Djokovic said. “He’s one of the players that I will definitely pay a ticket to watch. He’s very charismatic. He plays with a smile. He enjoys tennis and enjoys life. In my eyes, this is what everybody is supposed to be like, whether you’re a sportsman or not. Bring that smile; bring that good energy. That’s why people like him. 

“But also, he seems more focused at this time of his career. Especially on the hard court this year, he’s playing the best tennis he’s ever played. He’s very consistent. He hasn’t dropped a set before the semis. That says a lot about the level he’s at. Definitely expecting a tough battle.”

New York tennis fans deserved no less during the final match on Louis Armstrong Stadium: Five-time US Open champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan facing off against eighth seeds Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation), the team that denied the Bryan brothers their 17^th Grand Slam title earlier this season at Roland Garros.

Just like the earlier edition, Tuesday’s quarter-final contest went the distance. And just like the June meeting, the Spaniards walked away victorious, moving into their first semi-final in Flushing Meadows 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3.

“It was very special for us to beat the Bryans. They are the best players in the history of the game,” Feliciano Lopez said on court after the match.

The 34-year-old Spaniards, who started playing together this season, will try to reach their fourth final of the year when they play compatriots Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez or 12^th seeds Lukasz Kubot and Alexander Peya in the semi-finals.

Lopez/Lopez won almost 75 per cent of their first-serve points during the quarter-final match. But the third-seeded Bryan brothers actually won one more point than the Spanish duo – 98 to 97.

“There were a lot of tight moments during the match,” Feliciano Lopez said. “It’s difficult but somehow we managed to win the match and we’re very happy for that.”

Read: ATP World Tour Honours 18-Time Doubles Champion Eric Butorac

The match was the final contest in the history of the Louis Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The USTA plans to demolish the stadium shortly after this year’s US Open. A new stadium, with a roof, is expected to be ready in time for the 2018 US Open.

“Everything today was very special and very emotional,” Feliciano Lopez said.