The point was replayed, Murray lost the plot and the scene was set for a titanic fifth set which saw five breaks of serve in a match featuring 17 such breaches.
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Nishikori said: “It was too exciting on the court, but I tried to stay calm”.
Murray’s five-set defeat to Nishikori means NY will host the first grand slam final this year without Murray, and the first since 2004 without Murray, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. “I don’t know how many days off I’ll take or how much or when I’ll start practising up there”.
Murray had been in complete control in Arthur Ashe Stadium until first a rain delay and then, most crucially, a loud noise on break point derailed the 29-year-old’s charge. He lost in the final at the French Open, before going on to win Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and the gold medal at the Rio Olympics.
Nishikori will play two-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka after he beat Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6 4-6 6-3 6-2.
“(Referee) Wayne McKewen told me that it happened four times during the match that the speakers had gone off like that.
“I think definitely under the roof he was able to dictate more of the points”.
After the first set, Murray looked in control in the second as well, but when the organisers chose to close the roof owing to a drizzle, the momentum shifted, the Brit lost focus on his serve, Nishikori saw his opportunity and took it.
“I have great memories here”, Nishikori said. Even if she goes no further – and the quality of her opponent in the semi-final suggests she will not – this will go down as a breakthrough performance in her career.
Australian and French Open victor Wawrinka’s last game was delayed while the crowd saluted the popular del Potro, who missed the past two US Opens because of three wrist operations.
The gruelling tussle went the distance but second seed Murray eventually succumbed 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in a clash which lasted three hours and 57 minutes and brought a rather ignominious curtain down on the Scot’s golden summer.
Leading 4-3, 40-0, Nishikori had Murray on the ropes but then suddenly let him back into the match by committing five consecutive errors – including three unforced errors on game point – to lose his serve.
In the decider, Nishikori went up a break in the opening game, but Murray took advantage of a triple break chance in the fourth game to tie at 2-2.
In a wacky quarterfinal that featured a rain delay, random noises from the stadium’s PA system and a rogue moth (yes, that actually happened), Nishikori held his nerve and outlasted Murray 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in a thrilling war of attrition.
The top-ranked Japanese disposed of second seed Andy Murray in Thursday’s quarter-final. The fourth set is a disaster.
Two years ago he reached the final of the US Open, after winning his only other semi-final, against Novak Djokovic.
SERENA, PLISKOVA REACH SEMIS: Serena Williams’ serve was broken for the first time at this year’s U.S. Open. She’ll face Williams’ younger sister, No. 1 Serena, or No. 5 Simona Halep, who were scheduled to play Wednesday night. “I fought as hard as I could with what I had today”, he said. And he had the ideal start, dictating play to race into a set and a break lead.
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With the match seemingly headed for a fifth-set tiebreaker, Murray’s serve deserted him and he committed just his third double fault.
