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In what shapes as one of the most even match-ups of the US Open, the second semi-final sees third seed Stan Wawrinka do battle with Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from around 7am (AEST).
Wawrinka has had some difficult matches so far, winning his first two matches in straight sets, before being taken to five by Daniel Evans, and then four by Illya Marchenko and Juan Martin Del Potro.
In saying that, he played very good tennis, with his backhand and serve in particular on fire.
What Wawrinka can’t afford is another slow start, because Nishikori will pounce on any mistakes.
Nishikori, on the other hand, started the tournament with three 4-set matches and really struggled to settle into his rhythm. His shot looked laboured, and he wasn’t moving well across the court.
But that has really turned around over his last two matches, with a straight-sets win over Ivo Karlovic and then a surprise match against Andy Murray that went the distance.
The pair have a short yet intriguing history, which has seen five matches played throughout the last four years, with the last four played on the hard court.
While Wawrinka leads that ledger 3-2, they have gone two and two on hard court surfaces, including two matches at grand slams – at the quarter-finals of the 2015 Australian Open and 2014 US Open. In 2014, Nishikori took it out in five sets while Wawrinka dominated their Australian Open match in straight sets.
Neither player has won two matches straight between the pair, with Nishikori victorious in their last meeting, in Toronto.
For the Japanese sixth seed to get through, he needs to control the big shots down the line, so it is all about defence and finding a way to maintain serve.
The winner of this second semi-final will take on the winner of Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils, in the Monday morning (AEST) final.
Prediction
Wawrinka has looked shaky through the tournament, but his improvement in the quarter-final and fighting qualities means he should take this in a dramatic and entertaining match.
Wawrinka in five sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage from around 7am (AEST) or at the completion of Novak Djokovic vs Gael Monfils, and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde