Murray lost his grip on the match from that game onwards, but Cowan insists he can still look back with pride on his achievements in 2016.
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Over a dramatic four hours, Japanese sixth seed Nishikori recovered from two sets to one down and a potentially fatal break point to triumph 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 and reach the semi-finals for the second time.
The other men’s semi-final will pit No. 1 Novak Djokovic against 10th-seeded Gael Monfils of France.
The defeat was only the second in 28 matches for Murray, who had reached the final of his previous seven tournaments, stretching back to the Madrid Open in May. “I just didn’t hold serve enough”.
Chair umpire Marija Cicak ordered the point to be replayed, which irked Murray, who subsequently discussed the matter with tournament referee Wayne McKewen. And he will need to be well rested – as his first opponent at the Emirates Arena is likely to be Juan Martin del Potro.
He also spoke to a tournament supervisor about it, pleading his case and saying, “That’s not fair”.
“It’s not really for me to say”, he replied, when asked whether he felt it should have been opened again after a short, sharp shower had descended on Flushing Meadows late in the second set.
In the women’s quarterfinal played earlier on Arthur Ashe, Karolina Pliskova crushed Ana Konjuh 6-2 6-2. But he wouldn’t take another game.
A double fault from Murray handed Nishikori a break point that was duly converted to the fury of the Wimbledon champion, and the 26-year-old held serve to wrap up a memorable win. Then Wawrinka went for a change of rackets, while Del Potro sat on the side bleachers, resting.
Murray slammed his racket against the net and cursed.
The upset ended a stellar run by Murray that had taken him to seven successive finals, including victories at Wimbledon, the Rio Olympics, Queen’s Club and Rome.
“I would have loved to have gone further”, Murray said, “but it wasn’t to be today”.
This time, Nishikori came through, helped by a series of effective drop shots and an ability to keep his nerve over the closing three games. “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. “It was really tough to stay calm”. There were a lot of ups and downs in the match.
Del Potro, the world No. 142 and bidding to become the lowest ranked man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 16 years, was out to a 4-1 lead in the first set against Wawrinka.
When Andy Murray fails to make the final of a Grand Slam these days, it takes a lot of people by surprise.
Kristina Mladenovic, of France, right, hugs doubles partner Caroline Garcia, of France, after winning their semifinal match against Martina Hingis, of Switzerland, and Coco Vandeweghe, of the United States, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in NY.
A long backhand from Nishikori earned Murray his first break to go 3-1 up, and the Briton’s vicious return of serve saw him power to a swift first-set victory.
Nishikori said he gets a lift from the NY audience.
“But, yeah, I’m ready for a match against Kei”.
Maybe that made a difference.
The British player also admitted that he could have played better.
As the game clock ticked past three hours, it was the Japanese player who struck first in the final set, breaking serve in the first game, only for Murray to level things up three games later.
From a set and a break up, Murray lost 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Yet, Murray appeared to have a bit of prescience about how the night was going to end. His coach, eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl, did not exactly mirror that celebratory mood, sitting with chin on hand up in the guest box.
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Nishikori opts for an attacking brand of tennis that Roger Federer, for one, enjoys watching and particularly in the final two sets he did the majority of dictating from the baseline.
