In the last-16 round, Murray dispatched Dimitrov in just two hours, signalling he is well prepared to extend a dream summer that has included a second Wimbledon title and a second Olympic gold medal. PHOTO: REUTERS
Murray won the first of his three career majors at the US Open in 2012 and will be the favourite to make a fourth semi-final at the season’s last grand slam.
The world number two has a 7-1 record against Nishikori whose only win over the Briton came at the World Tour Finals in 2014.
This year, Murray came out on top in five sets to help steer Britain past Japan in the Davis Cup before cantering to a straight sets win in the Olympics semi-finals.
Andy Murray reaches sixth US Open quarter-final
All in all, Murray is on a 26-1 run since losing the French Open final to Djokovic in June, collecting the Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and Olympic titles on the way.
But he won’t underestimate the threat posed by Nishikori, who made the final in New York in 2014 having knocked out Djokovic in the semi-finals.
“He played some good stuff at the Olympics and won the bronze,” said Murray who reached the quarter-final with a brutal dismissal of Grigor Dimitrov where he lost just five games. “I played a really good match against Kei in Rio and I’ll need to do that again if I want to beat him because he’s one of the best players in the world, plays extremely well on hard court.”
Djokovic, looking for his third major of 2016, boasts a remarkable record in New York. As well as his two titles, the 29-year-old was runner-up in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013. He was a semi-finalist in 2005, 2006 and 2014.
Serena, Wawrinka, Murray through to round of 16
Del Potro to face Wawrinka
Today’s other quarter-final sees 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, ranked at 142 but on the comeback trail after three wrist surgeries, tackle third seed Stan Wawrinka, a former Australian and French Open winner.
Del Potro, the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist in 25 years, has a 4-2 head-to-head record over the 31-year-old Swiss including an impressive victory at Wimbledon earlier this year.
However, the two have never met on hard courts.
The quarter-final has been dubbed as a battle between Del Potro’s hammer of a forehand and Wawrinka’s precision backhand.
“It’s going to be a good challenge to play against him,” said Wawrinka, who is in his fourth successive US Open quarter-final and is a two-time semi-finalist. “It’s going to be important to try to dictate and be aggressive on the court.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2016.
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