Japanese stars create incredible piece of tennis history at US Open
Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori have created tennis history at the US Open.
The Japanese stars both advanced to the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows on Thursday (AEST).
Osaka became the first Japanese woman in 22 years to reach the semi-finals of a grand slam when she defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1.
But a few hours later, Nishikori helped Osaka create an even more incredible slice of history.
Nishikori overcame a ferocious comeback from Marin Cilic to prevail in five sets 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.
It means Osaka and Nishikori are the first Japanese players in the Open era to both make the semi-finals at one grand slam.
HISTORY: With Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori advancing to the semifinals @usopen, this is the first time in the Open Era there will be a Japanese man and woman in the semifinals of a Slam. #USOpen
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 5, 2018
Nishikori won the rematch of the 2014 final in a match that lasted 4 hours, 8 minutes.
The seventh-seeded Cilic won the 2014 final in straight sets for his only career major title. Nishikori said this week that he was nervous once that match began, but this one was nothing like that day.
Instead, it resembled their 2010 second-round match in Flushing Meadows, when Nishikori rallied to win in five sets in 4:59, the fifth-longest men’s singles match by time in U.S. Open history.
The No. 21 seed continued his strong season after returning from a wrist injury that forced him to miss the US Open last year and will play either No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic or unseeded John Millman.
”I wish I don’t go to five sets every time,” Nishikori said.
Osaka had it much easier, continuing what’s been a largely dominant run through the draw by winning in just 57 minutes, the third time in her five matches she didn’t even have to play an hour.
The No. 20 seed moved from Japan to New York at age 3, and her deepest major run is coming at the same tournament she first visited as a child.
”Well, it definitely means a lot for me, and I always thought if I were to win a Grand Slam, the first one I’d want to win is the US Open, because I have grown up here and, like, then my grandparents can come and watch,” she said. ”I think it would be really cool.”
with agencies
