The other semifinal will see defending champion Novak Djokovic take on 10th seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.
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Murray had been masterful in the opening set, taking Nishikori’s second serves early to put the Japanese sixth seed on the defensive, while benefiting from his 14 unforced errors.
Murray complained about the ruling right away, then gave away the next three points to lose the game, and brought it up again with Cicak at the ensuing changeover, saying something similar had happened earlier and play had continued.
Murray, who had been almost unbeatable for much of the summer, suffered just his second loss in 28 matches with Ivan Lendl back in his camp.
Later the tournament said a faulty digital audio sound processor was to blame and would be replaced prior to Wednesday’s night session.
A decisive moment came at the start of the fourth set when Murray held two break points for a 2-1 lead, but Nishikori battled back to win the game from 15-40 down after a loud gong-like sound burst from the malfunctioning public address system forced umpire Marija Cicak to order the point to be replayed – much to the irritation of the Briton.
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 tried to stay positive and I knew that if I did, I could just stay in the match”.
“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.
“I’m glad I got tested”, Williams said.
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 have been losing to Andy a lot”, Nishikori said.
Wawrinka, who had to save a match point in his third round clash with Dan Evans, will be playing in a third US Open semi-final in four years.
He will meet Stan Wawrinka, a 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victor over 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro. I would like a little bit more time off, which obviously I will get when Davis Cup is done, but I just need to be smart in the next few days.
“But after that, I don’t think so”.
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.
The second seed was tested in the third round and the fourth round matches at the Flushing Meadows before he played against a spirited Juan Martin del Potro on Thursday. It happened with Murray already up two sets to one and holding a second break point at 1-all in the fourth. “At times I was doing more of the running. 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.
But Serena would not be shaken and took the only break to go up 3-1 in the decider and then serve out for the win.
“Obviously I would have loved to have won, but I have had a good run every match”.
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“I pushed myself as hard as I could over the last few months, and I’m very proud of how I have done”. Against Tsonga at Wimbledon I was up, but that could have gone the other way in the beginning of the fifth.
