The 2012 Open champion, who is looking to win his second straight major – Murray claimed his second Wimbledon crown in July – will meet No. 6 Kei Nishikori in the next round, a match that should be far more challenging for Murray.
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Serena Williams’ serve was broken for the first time at this year’s U.S. Open.
World number two Murray was in scintillating form, knocking off an error-prone Dimitrov in straight sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The quarter-final featured 17 breaks of serve and five in the last set where Nishikori had led 4-2 at one stage.
Olympic gold medallist Murray was virtually impenetrable as Dimitrov struggled, tallying 28 winners and just 23 unforced errors compared to his 22nd-seeded opponent, who was 13 and 43 for the match.
Nishikori, runner-up here in 2014, goes through to his second grand slam semi-final, where he will face either Juan Martin del Potro or Stan Wawrinka. At 5-all, 30-all, Murray double-faulted to set up break point, and Nishikori converted by reaching for a stretch volley victor.
“Wayne told me that it happened four times during the match that the speakers had gone off like that”, said Murray who lost to Nishikori for only the second time in nine matches.
The first two quarter-finals take place on Tuesday when reigning champion Novak Djokovic faces France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, tackles French compatriot Gael Monfils.
“Now I’ve got another tough match for sure”. Not every day do you play your best.
The U.S. Tennis Association said Wednesday that a “digital audio sound processor” was at fault and would be replaced before the night session.
Davis Cup captain Leon Smith will be particularly interested in Murray’s energy levels ahead of Great Britain’s semi-final against Argentina next week, but he believes the world number two can outlast his rivals in NY.
They will now rocket up the rankings and world No.2 Murray said: “British tennis is doing well, and that makes me happy”.
“But this slam in particular I think for all of the players, especially the ones, that have done well over the summer period on the hard courts, it’s a tough one”.
Nishikori made 37-year-old Kar-lovic look like he was standing still, which he often was, as he raced to victory in two hours to earn a berth into the last eight. I just wanted to keep my foot on the gas, which I didn’t really do the other day.
The 25-year-old, once nicknamed “Baby Fed” for his game’s resemblance to that of Roger Federer, was in the round of 16 at a major for the first time since the 2015 Australian Open, but was unable to cope with Murray’s precision, power and touch.
At 3-all in the second set of Murray vs. Nishikori, rain interrupted play for the second time in the match. “I’m excited to play against him in the quarterfinal here at the US Open”.
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“Today I ran out of fuel, I think, physically and mentally”, said the Bulgarian.
