SHOWS: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USA TODAY STILL PHOTOS-MUST COURTESY USA TODAY) 1. KEI NISHIKORI RUNNING DOWN BALL NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USTA-SEE RESTRICTIONS ABOVE) 2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) KEI NISHIKORI SAYING "It was a very difficult match. I didn't start well and lost 6-1 and I felt it was really quick and I was rushing a little bit and missing too many unforced errors but after the rain delay I think I grew a little bit with my coach. I tried to change a little bit, my tennis and started working a little better." NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USA TODAY STILL PHOTOS-MUST COURTESY USA TODAY) 3. ANDY MURRAY REACTS TO BEING BROKEN IN THE 5TH SET NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USTA-SEE RESTRICTIONS ABOVE) 4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) ANDY MURRAY SAYING "I'm not too disappointed. It was a good match and could have gone either way. Obviously I would have loved to have won but, you know, I've had a good run the next couple of months and you can't win every match and it's a shame I would have loved to have gone further but it wasn' t to be today." NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USA TODAY STILL PHOTOS-MUST COURTESY USA TODAY) 5. KEI NISHIKORI OF JAPAN CELEBRATES AFTER RECORDING MATCH POINT 6. KAROLINA PLISKOVA HITS A BACKHAND AGAINST ANA KONJUH OF CROATIA NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 7, 2016)(USTA-SEE RESTRICTIONS ABOVE) 6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) KAROLINA PLISKOVA SAYING "Yes, I was surprised. In the the first set and even in the second set I was still waiting that some complications going to come but I'm not going to complain and happy that it went so easy. Of course I was expecting a little tougher battle but happy that it went so easy." STORY: Kei Nishikori overcame second seed Andy Murray for a gruelling 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5 see-saw victory to reach the U.S. Open semi-finals. Nishikori, who became the first Asian man to reach a grand slam final when he finished runner-up here in 2014, broke the Scotsman in the 11th game of the fifth set with a brilliant reflex volley and served out to complete the triumph. "It was a very difficult match. I didn't start well and lost 6-1 and I felt it was really quick and I was rushing a little bit and missing too many unforced errors but after the rain delay I think I grew a little bit with my coach. I tried to change a little bit, my tennis and started working a little better," Nishikori said after the match. The man who won Wimbledon and Olympic gold is Rio tried to be look on the bright side in his post match presser. "I'm not too disappointed. It was a good match and could have gone either way. Obviously I would have loved to have won but, you know, I've had a good run the next couple of months and you can't win every match and it's a shame I would have loved to have gone further but it wasn' t to be today," a spent Andy Murray told reporters following the epic match. Karolina Pliskova, a grand slam underachiever, took a big step towards shedding that unwanted label by sweeping past Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh 6-2 6-2 on Wednesday to roar into the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. Pliskova arrived at Flushing Meadows as the only player ranked inside the top 20 yet to reach the fourth round at one of tennis's four blue riband events but the 10th-seeded Czech made her trip to the semis look like nothing new as she overwhelmed 18-year-old Konjuh in 57 minutes. It was a ruthless and dominating display by Pliskova, who did not face a break point while surrendering only five points on her serve. Pliskova was surprised at the ease of her win. "Yes I was surprised. In the the first set and even in the second set I was still waiting that some complications going to come but I'm not going to complain and happy that it went so easy. Of course I was expecting a little tougher battle but happy that it went so easy." Pliskova will next face world number one Serena Williams in the semi-finals.