Kei Nishikori has expressed his delight at having become the first Asian man to reach the final of a Grand Slam.
The world number 11 stunned top seed Novak Djokovic in the last four of the US Open this evening to set up a final against either Marin Cilic or Roger Federer.
The 24-year-old admitted after the match that he was a little nervous at playing in his maiden Grand Slam semi, but could not hold back his joy at having progressed at Flushing Meadows.
"I don't know what's going on. I was a little bit tight, especially with my first semi-final in a Grand Slam. It's just an amazing feeling, beating the number one player and playing much better than the last couple of matches," Nishikori told reporters after his historic victory,
"I'm so happy. It was tough conditions but I guess I love to play long matches and I hope I can recover well for the final.
"I hope it's big news in Japan. I feel the support from Japan, even from the TV. It's 4am in Japan but I hope a lot of people are watching."
Nishikori took just under three hours to beat Djokovic 6-4 1-6 7-6[4] 6-3.
Barney Corkhill
