In what was the most highly anticipated of all the potential quarterfinal matchups at the 2014 US Open, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were able to deliver some special stuff on Wednesday evening in New York…albeit for just over two hours of the three and a half they spent out on court.
While it was certainly some exhilarating stuff to look, in the end the No. 8 seed simply hit a wall and ran out of steam in falling to the No. 1 player in the world 7-6(1), 6-7(1), 6-2, 6-4. Was it the classic we were all hoping for? Not quite, as both guys showed signs of being a little shaky right from the outset. That said, the combination of the quality of tennis and level of competition we were looking was simply fantastic, as Murray managed to pick himself off the mat after looking to be in deep trouble early in set number two.
After unleashing one massive forehand after another to get back in the match, the two-time Grand Slam winner had nothing left to give over the final two sets. Whether it was his aching back acting up on him or something else…fans everywhere were robbed of what was turning out to be one heck of match. Unfortunately for the talented Scotsman, this is becoming an all too familiar theme.
To his credit, Djokovic seized the opportunity and played a very cautious and smart final two sets. He could see Murray laboring badly on the other side of the net and smartly decided to conserve as much energy as possible for what could be waiting for him down the road. One would think with another potential winner take all final with Roger Federer looming in the very near future, staying fresh would be a rather wise approach to take.
With that said, don’t be surprised to see the talented Serb pushed to the limit by No. 10 seed Kei Nishikori. The twenty-four year old has made a habit of going the distance and four plus hours over his last couple of matches against some formidable opponents in Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka. Something tells me he will be looking to do the exact same thing against the No. 1 seed during what will likely be the feature semi-final match on Saturday evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
