Kei Nishikori, of Japan, reacts after defeating Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament on Sept. 6, 2014, in New York.NEW YORK – Kei Nishikori could tell from all the messages on his phone that the fans back home in Japan were watching in the middle of the night.
The 24-year-old stunned top-ranked Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in stifling heat Saturday at the U.S. Open to become the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
“Very happy to make history,” he said.
Nishikori had played five-set marathons in his last two matches totaling more than 8 1/2 hours, yet he looked far fresher than a player known as one of the fittest on tour.
“He just played better in these conditions than I did,” Djokovic said.