U.S. Open: Nishikori d. Djokovic

NEW YORK—Hurling his body into the ball, Kei Nishikori pounded another roundhouse return to reach match point. Novak Djokovic winced like a boxer stung by a jab he never saw coming. Cutting off the angles cleverly and striking boldly, Nishikori beat Djokovic to the ball, beat him to the punch, and hit his way into history.

Unleashing dispiriting combinations, the 24-year-old Japanese stunned the world No. 1, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, to become the first Asian man in history to reach a Grand Slam final. A calm Nishikori knocked out the top seed with astonishing accuracy and looked like the least surprised guy in Arthur Ashe Stadium by the time he was done with the job.

Operating with the fearlessness of a fighter willing to stand toe-to-toe with a bigger foe, Nishikori slipped some heavy shots and redirected others, relying on his tremendous timing, sharp technique, and blurring hand-speed to sting Djokovic into submission. It was his third straight win over a Top 5 seed at the U.S. Open and was much more decisive than his four-hour, five-set wins over fifth-seeded Milos Raonic and third-seeded Stan Wawrinka.

The degree of difficulty Nishikori faced was daunting. The 5'10", 150-pound baseliner was playing his first career Grand Slam semifinal and coming off of two marathon matches. All that activity came after pre-tournament surgery to remove a cyst from his right foot that left Nishikori feeling unprepared and considering the prospect of a short stay in New York. Meanwhile, Djokovic, contesting his 24th career Grand Slam semifinal, had dropped just one set, was playing his eighth straight U.S. Open semifinal, and figured to be physically fresher and emotionally calmer.

None of that mattered much to Nishikori. Midway through the first set, he was slashing winners and a sluggish Djokovic looked more like the guy operating on leaden legs. Whipping a pair of head-turning drives down the line, Nishikori broke a second time in the first set for 4-3. He threw down successive holds to snatch the 39-minute opener. Despite serving just 50 percent in the set, Nishikori won the battle of court positioning, took shots on the rise, and raked Djokovic's second serve, winning nine of 12 points played on the Serb's second delivery.

Shaking out early jitters, Djokovic began stepping in more, driving balls deep down the middle to deny Nishikori access to angles and swinging with more authority. Two wild errors gave Djokovic the break and a 3-1 second-set lead.

A crackling rally reached 17 strokes when Djokovic pulled the string beautifully on a backhand drop shot to draw to 30-all in the following game. That gutsy, delicate dropper helped the top seed hold for 4-1. When Nishikori failed to disguise a dropper in the next game, Djokovic lifted a backhand down the line, breaking for 5-1. The 2011 champion slid an ace down the middle to seal the 28-minute second set.

Stripping off his shirt on the changeover, Nishikori pressed an ice pack on his neck and stared up at the sky like a man searching for reprieve from the blistering heat. Scorching conditions—a 90-degree temperature and 50 percent humidity by the time the third set began—the swirling wind, and demanding baseline exchanges began to take a toll.

Trudging slowly behind the baseline, Nishikori tugged the brim of his baseball cap and turned on a faucet of sweat streaming down onto the court. Still, he hung tough through a grueling seven-deuce, 20-point game, fighting off four break points to pull out a 12-minute hold for 2-1. That battleground game completely changed the tenor of the match. Djokovic, who had sometimes played with caution while waiting for a moment to arrive, realized this skirmish was just getting started.

Pouncing on a 120 M.P.H. serve, Nishikori cracked a forehand return down the line to break for 5-3. Then Kei cracked, dribbling a double fault off the tape to gift back the break for 4-5. Fighting from behind the entire set, Djokovic was finally even, but he dissolved in the tiebreaker. Clanking a pair of backhand errors, a tense Djokovic trailed 0-4 then dumped a nervous double fault—his second of the match—to fall behind 2-5.

Seeing his opponent tightening, Nishikori made Djokovic play on set point. With his feet stuck behind the baseline, Djokovic steered a forehand wide as Nishikori scraped out the set, throwing a fist while a despondent Djokovic smacked a stray ball against the side wall, sensing it was all slipping from his grip. Clad in a black cap bearing a pizza parlor logo, Nishikori's coach, Michael Chang, leaned forward and double fist-pumped, urging his charge to keep up the intensity.

A grim Djokovic hit a double fault and forehand error to donate the break in the opening game of the fourth set; Nishikori saved a break point spiking a smash into the seats to hold for 2-0. The underdog never looked back. That backhand strike down the line gave Nishikori match point, and when Djokovic ended a 16-shot rally floating a forehand deep, he thrust his arms in the air and took a victory leap, landing in his first major final.