After let call, Murray loses to Nishikori at US Open

NEW YORK (AP):

Andy Murray lost his way, seven consecutive games and, eventually, his riveting five-set US Open quarter-final against Kei Nishikori after a loud noise from a malfunctioning sound system interrupted a key point, resulting in a do-over.

Whether or not the gong-like sound, and chair umpire Marija Cicak's let ruling, was the reason that Nishikori wound up coming back to win 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 yesterday, it surely will be what's most remembered about the back-and-forth, four-hour match.

After all, Murray's extended discussions with Cicak and another official about the unusual episode came during a stretch in which he dropped 12 of 14 points.

He went from a lead of two sets to one, plus a break point at one-all, to ceding the fourth set and trailing 2-0 in the fifth.

"I could have won the match for sure," said Murray, the No. 2 seed and 2012 champion at Flushing Meadows.

He complained about the ruling right away, gave away the next three points to lose the game, then brought it up again with Cicak at the ensuing changeover, saying something similar had happened earlier and play had continued.

"Exactly the same thing," Murray exclaimed. "And I told you."

He also spoke to a tournament supervisor about it, pleading his case and saying: "That's not fair."

"It was too exciting on the court, but I tried to stay calm," said Nishikori. "It was really tough to stay calm. ... There were many ups and downs."

In the women's quarter-finals, 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova easily eliminated the 18-year-old Ana Konjuh 6-2, 6-2 in just 57 minutes to get to the final four at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

Pliskova, who saved a match point while defeating Venus Williams in the fourth round, will take a 10-match winning streak into today's semi-finals against Williams' sister Serena, or No. 5 Simona Halep.