NEW YORK >> Novak Djokovic limited big-serving Ben Shelton to five aces and broke him five times. He pushed back when the 20-year-old unseeded American produced a late stand that got the home crowd into the match.

And after finishing off a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory to reach his record-tying 10th U.S. Open final and 36th at all major tournaments, Djokovic added a touch of insult to injury by mimicking the kid’s “hang up the phone!” celebration gesture.

Djokovic then pointed to his temple and pounded his fist on his chest, before a stone-faced Shelton met him at the net for the most perfunctory of handshakes. A year after Djokovic could not travel to the United States for the Open because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, the 36-year-old from Serbia is one victory away from a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 24th Grand Slam championship overall.

“These are the kind of matches and occasions that I still thrive on. They still get me going and inspire me to wake up and work hard like the young guys,” said Djokovic, who would be the oldest man to win the U.S. Open in the professional era, which began in 1968.

“I still feel I have something in my legs left,” he said. “I still feel I have something to give to the sport.”

Shelton won an NCAA singles title for the University of Florida last year and captured attention over the past two weeks with the powerful swings of his racket that generated a tournament-high 76 aces entering Friday, his shouts of “Yeah!” or biceps flexes after winning points and a win-capping pantomime pretending his hand is an old-style telephone handset that he slams down.

It’s a routine he borrowed from former Florida track and field athlete Grant Holloway, a world champion hurdler, and Shelton said Djokovic’s end-of-match gesture didn’t bother him.

“I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can celebrate or can’t celebrate. I think if you win the match, you deserve to do whatever you want,” Shelton said with a smile. “As a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so that’s all I have to say about that.”

He made things interesting in the third set, lifting his level of play as Djokovic seemed to get a bit tight when the finish line neared. Shelton broke for the only two times in the match, even held a set point at 5-4 and later erased a match point on the way to forcing the concluding tiebreaker.

Now Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev for the title on Sunday. Medvedev upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz late Friday, 7-6 (7), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.