Novak Djokovic staying calm amid the circus

11:31 AM ET

PARIS — Gustavo Kuerten, still shaggy and impossibly skinny after all these years, says he isn’t worried about Novak Djokovic.

“For him,” the three-time French Open champion said Thursday, “not that much. He’s like Superman. I think he can handle it well.”

Guga, who was introduced as a global ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, shared his thoughts with a small crowd at a reception that featured espresso, champagne, croissants and fresh berries.

Novak Djokovic reached his 30th career Grand Slam semifinal with a straight-sets win against Tomas Berdych. Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

“It’s a tournament that everybody’s a little — how you say — anxious,” Kuerten said. “[But] I don’t see too many doubts on his mind these last days.”

On the surface, anyway, Djokovic is loose.

Two hours before his Thursday quarterfinal match with Tomas Berdych, Djokovic had a leisurely hit on Court Philippe Chatrier with David Goffin. Afterward, an animated Djokovic posed for a selfie shot with some of the pretty ushers in the French Tennis Federation box.

Predictably, the world No. 1 advanced seamlessly, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3, although rain, naturally, briefly interrupted the match.

It’s been a trying fortnight for everyone — before the rain delay, Berdych called it “One big circus” — but Djokovic, who is seeking his first French title and career Grand Slam, is trying to make some personal history here. Even so, he’s gone out of his way to be endearing.

There was a group picture with all the ball kids, a Gene Kelly impersonation with a patron’s umbrella and an on-court interview conducted with Fabrice Santoro (in French) — with Djokovic wearing the former French player’s goofy yellow slicker …

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