By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Kei Nishikori displayed brilliant touch outdueling Andy Murray, 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, to reach the US Open semifinals for the second time in three years.
Photo credit: US Open/USTA
NEW YORK—The ball dripped over the net like a yellow splotch of paint on a blue canvas. Kei Nishikori dabbed drop shot brilliance disarming one of the sport's speediest players.
Blown out in the opening set, Nishikori unleashed clever combinations stunning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 to reach the US Open semifinals for the second time in the last three years.
Watch: The Gong Heard Round The Tennis World
A fiercely-fought thriller popped with crackling rallies, dazzling drop shots, tense double faults and even the eruption of a bizzare gong-sound from the speakers that stopped play on break point and sent Murray into an emotional fourth-set spiral.
Throughout the entire three hour, 57-minute drama, Nishikori looked like the calmest guy in the stadium.
"Actually it was too exciting on the court, but I tried to stay calm," Nishikori told ESPN's Brad Gilbert afterward. "It was really tough to stay calm. There was many ups and downs. In the beginning, I didn't start well. It was a tough start, but in the end it was good, so I'm very happy."
The 2014 US Open finalist played bolder tennis on pivotal points: Nishikori won 27 of 39 net points and cracked 48 winners compared to 29 for the world No. 2.
"I see some opportunity to come in today so I tried to be aggressive," Nishikori said. "I saw that's what I had to do. Especially against Andy. He has great defense. I don't know why I did and serve and volley many today, but I was felt like and it was working. I think it was great mix-up serve and volley and come to the net a lot today."
It was a gut-wrenching defeat for Murray, who had won 26 of his last 27 matches and put himself in position to win this one.
"I'm not disappointed in a way," Murray said. "Obviously I would have loved to have won, but I have had a good run every match. I would have loved to have gone further, but it wasn't to be today."
Seemingly in charge up a set and a break, Murray lost his focus and committed a crucial double fault in the decider that cost him dearly.
The knock on Nishikori is that at 5'10", 165 pounds he's too fragile to withstand the physicality of elite players. That view was bolstered by the 1-7 record he carried onto court vs. Murray and 0-12 mark against Top 2 players since his run to the 2014 US Open final.
None of that mattered much to Nishikori, who showed a steely spine raising his five-set record to 14-5.
Blown out in the opening set, a skittish Nishikori donated the second break and a 5-1 lead.
The second-seeded Scot bolted an ace to snatch a lopsided 35 minute set in which Murray ravaged Nishikori's second serve, winning eight of 10 points on that suepsect delivery.
A brief shower stalled play for about five minutes with Murray serving in the second set. Shortly after play resumed, Nishikori ballooned a forehand beyond the baseline surrendering serve in the fifth game and raising his arms in dismay toward his support box like a man already out of answers.
At that point, it seemed Murray would run away with the set, but Nishikori put his foot down. The 2014 finalist hammered a heavy forehand crosscourt breaking back at love for 3-all.
Spitting showers caused another delay as the retractable roof was closed. During the break, Nishikori's coaches, former US Open finalist Michael Chang and Dante Bottini, trotted down to the locker room to light a fire under their charge.
When play resumed, Nishikori exuded more energy and positive energy amid heavier conditions.
Hugging the baseline, Nishikori attacked the Scot's forehand and began following his drives forward. Hitting off his backfoot, Murray netted a forehand to face set point. The 2012 champion put a backhand into net as a revitalized Nishikori took the second set prompting his entire box to leap from their feet in celebration.
An exchange of breaks opened the third set.
All the good work Nishikori did in the prior half hour of play dissipated in a sloppy seventh game. Jerking a couple of forehand errors, Nishikori double faulted to face a break point. Over-hitting his backhand, he missed the sideline as Murray broke for 4-3.
Silly shot selection cost Nishikori at times, including the ninth game where he floated a slice backhand wide on break point. A fired-up Murray celebrated his third break of the set throwing a massive fist in the air. The second seed banged a backhand down the line to seal the set.
The sight of Nishikori prowling the baseline was unsettling, but the sound of a gong-like that pierced the stadium proved to be unnerving for Murray.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist held break point at 1-all in the fourth sent when suddenly a loud gong-like sound erupted throughout Ashe Stadium prompting chair umpire Marija Čičak to rule a replay of the point.
A cranky Murray complained to Čičak, asserting she told him earlier they would play through the noise disruption. Then he bashed a second-serve return into the bottom of the net, eventually losing the game and continuing to air his gripe on the ensuing changeover to both Čičak and tournament official Wayne McEwen.
"Wayne McKewen told me that it happened four times during the match that the speakers had gone off like that," Murray said. "I had only heard it one time before, which was on set point in the second set. That was it."
The gong show sent Murray into a spiral: He lost 12 of the next 14 points, eventually dropping seven straight games. Finally, Murray stopped the free-fall breaking back for 2-all in the final set as Nishikori bounced his Wilson racket in disgust.
In the fifth game of the decider, Murray unraveled.
Sailing a second serve well beyond the service box to face break point in the final set, Murray wailed in angst. Nishikori pounced knifing a backhand winner down the line that singed the sideline to break for 3-2. A 121 mph blast down the middle followed by a missed return helped Nishikori consolidate.
Playing with relaxed aggression, Nishikori was one point from a 5-3 lead at 40-love, but pressure posed complications.
On a surprise serve-and-volley, Nishikori was a few feet from net when he blinked.
Tapping a routine forehand volley into net, Nishikori blew a third game point. That error proved costly as Murray drained two more miscues breaking back for 4-all.
Three hours and 52 minutes into the drama, tension tightened Murray's right arm. The two-time Olympic gold medalist couldn't cope, spitting up his third double fault to face a break point.
Nishikori, who had victimized the Scot with the drop shot, was bouncing a few feet inside the baseline when he floated a forehand dropper. It wasn't a great shot, but it was a gutsy one.
Sprinting forward Murray scraped out a reply, but Nishikori wisely covered the line and blocked a lunging full-stretch volley into the open court breaking for 6-5 as Murray slapped the top of the net in disgust.
Attacking net behind a forehand down the line, Nishikori closed an epic thriller on a Murray error.
"I think it means a lot, especially I have been losing Andy a lot," Nishikori said. "I think seven times and I only won once. And especially this stage it's big opportunity for me to play today's match.
"Well, yeah, I was really confident. I was ready to play today's match. Actually, we just played this year really long match. I think it was close to five hours in Davis Cup and I lost the match, so it was great to revenge, you know, from Davis Cup."
There was no extensive celebration from Nishikori, who was already looking forward to the semifinals. The sixth-seeded Japanese will face either 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro or two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka for a spot in the final.