Murray took the first set by storm, as it stood 6-1 on the scoreboard after just 35 minutes!
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Murray will remember it for many ups and downs, not least the let and replayed point called against him in the fourth set – the result of an electrical malfunction in the court’s sound system that set off a loud, distracting noise – which seriously unsettled him and contributed significantly to a dramatic loss of focus and, ultimately, the match. Between the changeover Murray complained to the tournament supervisor and when play resumed he never won another game in the set. When he held serve to move ahead in the decider, victory beckoned.
“I had only heard it one time before, which was on set point in the second set”.
“Did it affect me?” (This has happened a few times this tournament, and it’s been weird as hell.) Murray thought that the official should’ve let them play on, and that frustration seemed to taint the rest of his match, leaving him rattled and angry at something, everything-the official, the world, the poor bug, himself. “But after that I don’t think so”.
Gael Monfils reached his first Grand Slam semifinal since 2008 with a straight-set victory at the U.S. Open over 24th-seeded Lucas Pouille, who upset Rafael Nadal a round earlier.
Maybe that made a difference, because Nishikori eventually took the set by breaking in its last game, as Murray slapped a backhand into the net to close a 15-stroke exchange.
“We were told at the beginning of the event and also today that if the forecast’s good they will open the roof during the match if that’s the case”, Murray said.
“I saw some opportunity to come in (to the net) today so I tried to be aggressive. It’s not really for me to say”.
“Obviously I would have loved to have won, but I have had a good run every match”.
Nishikori traded ground strokes more patiently, taking advantage of his chances, and the two players battled fiercely with sharply angled ground strokes, drop shots and net play.
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.
Murray has pulled off many wonderful escapes in his career and he came close to doing so again, breaking back twice in the decider in front of an enthralled NY crowd.
“Definitely my concentration went off, ” Nishikori said of the gong sound. “Kei has played a lot of tennis as well over the last few months for sure. I’m just happy that it’s now and that it came”, said the 24-year-old Pliskova, who is participating in the 18th Grand Slam tournament of her career.
Waiting for the 26-year-old next will be either 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro or third seed Stan Wawrinka. “On set point in the first set, there was a noise, and you said we keep playing when that happens”.
Murray had been in total control but the change allowed Nishikori to get his timing and as he became more aggressive, he enjoyed more success.
The real contest began in the second set as Nishikori’s service game improved and he started to rein in the mistakes. He took the third set 6-3, hitting twice as many muscular winners.
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“It’s an wonderful feeling, I am so excited to be in my first semi-final especially in this tournament I very much love NY and hardcourt season”, said Pliskova, who will next face either world No.1 Serena Williams or Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep.
