Murray into Semis & Djokovic Reaches QFs in NYC

Andy Murray didn't let a sluggish start stop from him reaching the semifinals while Novak Djokovic had an easier than expected win to reach the quarters of the U.S. Open.

By Erik Gudris

(September 5, 2012) -- Despite a late morning rain shower that suspended play for a few hours, skies cleared in the afternoon allowing men's fourth round matches that were started yesterday to be completed along with quarterfinal matches to get underway in New York.

In a fourth round match that resumed today, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic found himself broken while serving for the first set against Stanislas Wawrinka, but the defending champion broke back right away to claim the set 6-4.

From there Djokovic won the next nine out of eleven games until Wawrinka decided to retire from illness down 4-6, 1-6, 1-3.

When asked if he thought the event would get more dramatic now that we have entered the quarterfinal stage, Djokovic replied, "Well, I mean, that's something to expect. I mean, as I said, as the tournament goes on the opponents are getting more difficult, and, you know, you have to perform your best. You have to be on top of your game in order to win those matches. You're playing against the top 5, top 10 players now. It's the final stages of a Grand Slam. Everybody has motivation in order to perform their best."

Djokovic's Davis Cup teammate Janko Tipsarevic took up where he left off against Philipp Kohlschreiber as the Serbian won in three sets 6-3, 7-6, 6-2. Tipsarevic will now face David Ferrer in the quarterfinals.

Murray Fights Back to Dismiss Cilic in Four Sets

No. 3 seed Andy Murray has had no trouble against Marin Cilic except at the U.S. Open where he lost to the Croat unexpectedly a few years ago. The same scenario appeared to be on the cards again as it was a sluggish Murray who dropped the first set to Cilic inside a near empty Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Cilic went up 5-1, 30-15 in the second set and looked on the verge of a two sets to love lead before Murray started playing more aggressive tennis that included several forays up to net. With more people entering the stadium, Murray seemed to lift his game while Cilic slowly began to descend into a lethargic slump. Cilc saw his second set lead evaporate as Murray eventually claimed the set in a second set tiebreak.

Murray, who won 16 of the last 19 games after being way down in the second set, ran away with the third and fourth set to seal a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-0 victory and with it a semifinal berth where he will face Tomas Berdych in the semifinals.

(File Photo: Murray plays against Ivan Dodig in the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open; Credit: Andy Kentl)