The official language of New York, that special brand of booing that comes from someplace deep in the diaphragm, blared through Arthur Ashe Stadium late Thursday night, but the odd part about that was its recipient.

Out there on the court, doing a post-match TV interview, making whine upon whine that dredged the jeers, stood the same Novak Djokovic who only 12 months ago had ripened into a darling of the National Tennis Centre, reaching the final and enchanting the audiences with dead-on impersonations of other players.

After helping Andy Roddick along with a fourth-set meltdown in the US Open quarter-final, the model of levity somehow had become a case of uptightness, moaning because Roddick had joshed Tuesday night about Djokovic’s penchant for calling trainers during matches.

With the microphone, Djokovic basked in his 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) win on “his court” and “his city, his favourite tournament,” then said, “Obviously Andy was saying that I have 16 injuries last match; obviously I don’t, right?”

Boos boomed. “I know they are already against me because they think I’m faking everything, so ...”

Boos cascaded. “That’s not nice ...”

Boos persisted, subsided, then welled up again as Djokovic exited.

Here the 21-year-old Australian Open champion and outstanding No. 3 player had arranged a glam semi-final with Roger Federer, who had beaten Gilles Muller, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (5). Here Djokovic had made the last four for an incredible sixth time in the last seven Grand Slam tournaments. Yet here somehow he’d wound up with precisely the kind of reception that can hurt a generally affable soul such as his.

... contd.