Kei Nishikori upsets Stanislas Wawrinka to reach US Open semi-final

Kei Nishikori wore down Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-4 at the US Open to become the first Japanese man in 81 years to make a grand slam semi-final.

Two days after needing fours hours and 19 minutes to get by Canadian Milos Raonic in the tournament’s longest match, the 24-year-old Japanese had enough left in the tank to edge Australian Open champion Wawrinka in a four hours and 15 minute test of wills.

With the victory Nishikori claims a bit of tennis notoriety becoming the first Japanese man to reach the last four of a grand slam since Jiro Satoh at Wimbledon in 1933.

“I don’t know how I finished the game, but I’m happy,” an exhausted Nishikori, who had a medical timeout in the third set to have his right foot taped, told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after clinching victory. “I feel amazing. I’m very happy to come my first time semis. I hope I can recover again and hopefully I can play 100 per cent tennis next round.”

Nishikori will meet the winner of Wednesday night’s quarter-final between top-seeded Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia and eighth-seeded Scotsman Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open winner.

The Japanese scored the decisive break in the last game of the match, reaching match point after the eighth double fault of the quarter-final by Wawrinka, who also blasted in 18 aces.

via Kei Nishikori upsets Stanislas Wawrinka to reach US Open semi-final | Sport | theguardian.com.