NEW YORK (AP) The only other time Mikhail Youzhny reached the U.S. Open semifinals, in 2006, he got there by upsetting Rafael Nadal.
So guess who might be waiting for Youzhny now that he is back in the final four at Flushing Meadows? That's right: Nadal.
The 12th-seeded Youzhny hit fewer aces and fewer winners, needed treatment on his right foot in the fifth set - and still managed to come back and beat 25th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 3-6, 7-5 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday.
On Saturday, the 28-year-old Youzhny will play in his second career major semifinal against No. 1-seeded Nadal or No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, who were scheduled to play in the first all-Spanish quarterfinal in U.S. Open history later Thursday.