Roof shut during Wawrinka vs. Nishikori Open SF

Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open victor and 2015 French Open champion, broke Nishikori in the last game of the second, third and fourth sets to reach his first US Open final.

This matchup will be Djokovic’s seventh U.S. Open final, and Wawrinka’s first.

Although Djokovic holds a 19-4 record over Wawrinka, including two victories since the Swiss player shocked him the French Open final a year ago, Wawrinka welcomed the chance to take him on again.

“He was playing really good from the beginning, he was dictating”, Wawrinka said.

And while he is only 4-19 against Djokovic over their careers, half of Wawrinka’s victories came en route to his major titles, in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Australian Open and the final of the 2015 French Open.

Now, a little more than five months past his 31st birthday, he can become the oldest U.S. Open champion since Ken Rosewall was 35 in 1970.

Nishikori looked sharper for the best part of two sets but was pegged back by Wawrinka with a break at the end of the second.

The downside of Wawrinka’s method is that he has spent 18 hours on court already – nearly exactly twice as much as Djokovic, whose frictionless progress must represent some sort of record.

Djokovic, who played before Wawrinka’s match with Nishikori, was taken to four sets by Frenchman Gael Monfils in one of the stranger matches of the tournament. Then, past year at Roland Garros, he staged a stunning fightback to beat Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. But up against him is none other than Djokovic, undisputedly the best player in the world now, who is looking for his 13th slam, to put him just one behind Nadal and Sampras.

“In decisive tense moments we had many exchanges from the baseline and Gael is one of the best athletes on the tour, very flexible”. It’s tough, you know.

“He also started to get exhausted a little bit and that’s when I started to get my game, to be aggressive”.

The women’s final between Czech player Karolina Pliskova and German Angelique Kerber will take place tomorrow.

He led by two sets and a break as Monfils spent much of the first hour hitting the ball at half-pace, barely moving during, as well as between, points and at one stage limping theatrically. He did however have trouble with his shoulders in his odd match against Monfils (6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2), and needed a medical time-out for treatment. Djokovic’s fortunes took a nosedive, first as he called for treatment to his left shoulder and then as three break-back points slipped by, and with them the set, prompting him to rip his shirt in frustration.

“There’s not only one way to play tennis”. And it gives Djokovic the chance to gain more ground in the championship count, too, of course: He can raise his trophy total to 13, which would place him alone in fourth place behind Federer (17), Rafael Nadal (14) and Pete Sampras (14).

“I have a great partner”.

However, the big Swiss has won his last 10 finals and will draw on those as well as his Slam record with Djokovic for inspiration. We can change a little bit. Neither had played in a Grand Slam final before.