The interlude seemed to galvanize the underdog still further – Nishikori broke Murray to love in the ninth game before holding serve to tie the match at 1-1.
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The 29-year-old’s argument centred on the sound occurring once before in the contest but he claimed play had previously been allowed to continue.
“I wasn’t at my best level today for sure, but she was just too good. I’m happy with how it’s gone”.
“Did it affect me?”
He noted: “Under the roof he (Nishikori) was able to dictate more of the points and playing closer to the baseline than me”.
“Definitely I would say to 4-1 I didn’t play a good game after I got out of the change of ends, and then he held pretty comfortably the next game”, said the Briton. “I think in their head-to-heads, Novak has had quite a little bit of success”.
First came the rain, then some electronic thunder and, in time, a lightning strike of Andy Murray’s racket across the net. “That was the difference”. Showing flashes of brilliance, the Japanese’s game was littered with unforced errors as he gifted the first set to Murray 1-6.
The rain was neither heavy nor long-lasting, however, and Murray expressed some surprise that the roof was kept closed for the rest of the match. Murray said later that the speaker incident had affected him in the two games immediately afterwards but did not blame it for the way he had continued to lose games in that part of the match. I know he stays back. They have obviously delays and (delayed) matches aren’t good for TV and people that are watching.
“It was one of my toughest matches mentally and physically”. “It makes me more motivated. I felt it was really quick and I was missing too much”, said Nishikori after reaching only his second Slam semi-final after his runner-up spot in NY in 2014.
The world number two had reached the final of the last seven tournaments he had played in, including winning gold at the Olympics, but his luck ran out against Japan’s Nishikori at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.
The three-time major champion twice broke back in a thrilling decider but was unable to escape a third time.
“On set point in the second set, there was a noise, and you said we keep playing when that happens”, Murray said.
‘I pushed myself as hard as I could over the last few months and I’m very proud of how I have done.
Karolina Pliskova came into the U.S. Open with the dubious distinction of being the only woman now ranked in the top 20 never to make a Grand Slam round of 16. “I don’t think that had an impact on the match today”.
Wawrinka outlasted 2009 champion and fan favorite Juan Martin del Potro in four sets in a match that ended early Thursday morning.
The 26-year-old was in doubt the right decision was made to replay the point interrupted by noise. She went four of 20 on break-point opportunities and hit 18 aces. The third set against Fognini, I was down a break in the third there. He lost six service games in the first four sets against Kei Nishikori. “I try to stay focussed and get ready for the next game”, the 2014 runner-up was quoted as saying by US Open’s official website after his win over Murray.
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“Grand Slams are valued the most in our sport as tournaments historically, so these are the tournaments where I want to do well and do my best”, Djokovic said before the tournament began.
