RICKY REPORTS THAT NISHIKORI GOES THE DISTANCE ( 5 SETS ) TO BEAT STAN WAWRINKA @ THE U.S. OPEN

Written by: Staff on 1st September 2014

RICKY REPORTS THAT NISHIKORI GOES THE DISTANCE ( 5 SETS ) TO BEAT STAN WAWRINKA @ THE U.S. OPEN

epa04382872 Kei Nishikori of Japan hits a return to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their quarterfinals round match on the tenth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 03 September 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Nishikori goes the distance again during long day at U.S. Open

By Ricky Dimon

Matches often get cancelled due to rain or, in the case of tournaments without lights, darkness. One–albeit in the legends event–at the U.S. Open on Wednesday got wiped out for much more interesting and unique reason: one of the players was busy coaching one of his own players through a four-hour marathon.

Michael Chang, not so stoic like fellow coach Stefan Edberg just to name one, enthusiastically watched Kei Nishikori survive a second consecutive five-set marathon in a day match that spilled into the night session. Nishikori, coming off a thrilling win over Milos Raonic that ended at 2:26 in the morning, outlasted Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 6-7(5), 6-4 during quarterfinal action.

“I was a little bit tired yesterday, but today was almost…not 100 percent but close to feeling pretty good,” explained Nishikori, who is the first Japanese man in the U.S. Open semis since Ichiya Kumagae in 1918. “I always love to play five sets. I think I have good records for winning (decisive) third or fifth sets. It’s not like I love to play five sets, but I have a lot of confidence to play in the fifth. I get more concentration and my tennis is getting better playing in the fourth or fifth sets.”

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland reacts as he plays Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarterfinals round match on the tenth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 03 September 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

“From outside he [looked] really dead,” Wawrinka said of Nishikori. “But we know on the court he can play. Even at the beginning he [looked] like he’s going to die on the court, but he’s there. Physically he’s there. Even at the end of the match. We were both quite tired in the fifth set. I [tried] not to show. I still think that I was the fresher on the court, but he [handled it] well. He was really going for his shot in the fifth set.”

The extended encounter pushed back the start of the night session and also meant that Chang did not play his scheduled legends doubles match with partner Mark Philippoussis against Pat Cash and Todd Martin. Plenty of action on the outer courts, however, progressed as planned with the junior events.

It was productive and not as difficult day at the office as Wimbledon junior runner-up Stefan Kozlov may have expected when he saw the Wednesday schedule. Seeded first in doubles with Russian partner Andrey Rublev, Kozlov got a walkover into the third round and thus only had to play his singles match. Seeded fourth in that event, Kozlov beat Brazil’s Rafael Matos 7-6(2), 6-4.

CiCi Bellis was back in action one day after bowing out of the girls’ singles tournament. Also seeded No. 1 in doubles, Bellis and Czech partner Marketa Vondrousova won their second-round match 6-1, 7-6(3) over a Hungarian duo.

As for Chang, he will make up his match on Thursday.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Kei Nishikori, Michael Chang, Ricky Dimon, Stan Wawrinka, Tennis, US Open 2014