US Open Semifinals Schedule, Scores, Match Times: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer Eyeing Final Showdown
Novak Djokovic will go up against Kei Nishikori, while Roger Federer will go up against Marin Cilic in the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament on Saturday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic, who is eyeing his second title at Flushing Meadows, will be a huge favorite to win against Nishikori, but the 10th-seeded Japanese player is ready to give the top-seeded Serb a run for his money.
Nishikori, who will be the first Japanese player to play in U.S. Open semis since Ichiya Kumagai, reached the final four of the tournament in 1918, survived two straight five-setters on his way to the final.
Nishikori scored a 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-4 win against fifth-seeded Milos Raonic in the fourth round before defeating third-seeded Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.
Djokovic, who won the tournament in 2011, said that he has not faced Nishikori in recent tournaments, but he is aware that the 24-year-old has improved a lot since working under trainer Michael Chang.
"I haven't played Kei in a while. He's very, very good player, obviously. I think he's playing best tennis of his life in the last 12 months," Djokovic said. "He started working with Michael Chang and he changed a few things in his game. He serves very efficiently. Obviously he's very, very fast, maybe one of the fastest on the tour player."
Meanwhile, Federer, a five-time winner of the tournament, will also look to advance to the final and put himself closer to winning his 18th Grand Slam title.
Federer will go up against Cilic, who advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory against sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
Cilic, who be playing in a Grand Slam semis for the first time since the 2010 Australian Open, will look to score an upset, but the odds are stacked against him because he has not won against Federer in their first five meetings.
Schedule and Scores
Complete Day 13 schedule, match time and scores are available on this link. The Djokovic-Nishikori match will start at 12 p.m. EST followed by the Federer-Cilic showdown. Both matches will be shown live on ESPN and Tennis Channel, and via live streaming on U.S. Open Live, Tennis Channel Live, WatchESPN and CBSSports.
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