Murray and Djokovic eyeing up US Open final clash
Andy Murray takes on Kei Nishikori on Wednesday looking to take a step closer to a dream title showdown with Novak Djokovic, who plays Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray to play Nishikori
Andy Murray will play his sixth US Open quarter-final this Wednesday looking to maintain his near complete dominance over Japan's Kei Nishikoriand take a step closer to what would be a dream title showdown with Novak Djokovic.
Murray brushed aside Grigor Dimitrov on Monday to reach the quarter-finals, losing just five games against the Bulgarian (6-1, 6-2, 6-2).
Scot Murray landed the first of his three major titles at the US Open in 2012 (beating Djokovic) and will be the favourite to make a fourth semi-final at the season's final Grand Slam.
Murray has a 7-1 record against Nishikori
The world number two has a 7-1 record against Nishikori whose only triumph over the Briton came at the World Tour Finals in 2014.
This year, Murray came out on top in five sets to help steer Britain past Japan in the Davis Cup before cantering to a straight sets win in the Olympics semi-finals.
Murray on a 26-1 run since French Open Final
All in all, Murray is on a 26-1 run since losing the French Open final to Djokovic in June, picking up the Queen's Club, Wimbledon and Olympic titles on the way.
Threat of Nishikori
But he won't under-estimate the threat posed by Nishikori, who made the final in New York in 2014 having knocked out Djokovic in the semi-finals.
'He played some good stuff at the Olympics and won the bronze,' said Murray.
'I played a really good match against Kei in Rio and I'll need to do that again if I want to beat him because he's one of the best players in the world, plays extremely well on hard court.'
If Murray goes all the way to the final many are expecting him to meet Novak Djokovic there, the strongest player on the other side of the draw.
Djokovic aiming for 10th consecutive US Open semi
Djokovic targets a 10th successive semi-final appearance on Tuesday when he faces longtime rival Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, one of three Frenchmen in the last-eight.
World number one Djokovic, the champion in New York in 2011 and 2015, has hardly broken sweat in the first four rounds.
He needed four sets to beat Jerzy Janowicz in his first match before he enjoyed a walkover in the second, an injury-enforced retirement in the third followed by a comfortable win over Briton's Kyle Edmund in the last-16.
Djokovic, looking for his third major of 2016, boasts a remarkable record in New York. As well as his two titles, the 29-year-old was runner-up in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013. He was a semi-finalist in 2005, 2006 and 2014.
The Serb has a 15-6 winning record against ninth seed Tsonga, a run stretching back to their first meeting in the 2008 Australian Open final.
'I'm feeling very good. I didn't have much time on the court overall before the fourth round,' said Djokovic who came into the tournament suffering from a wrist injury.
'Considering I had some struggles before the tournament, I feel great at this moment physically; mentally as well I'm motivated.'
Other quarters: Pouille v Monfils and Del Potro v Wawrinka
In Tuesday's other men's quarter-final, Lucas Pouille, who knocked out 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal in five sets on Sunday, faces French compatriot Gael Monfils.
It is the first time since 1927 that three Frenchmen have reached the last-eight in New York.
Monfils beat Pouille in their only meeting -- in five sets in the first round of the Australian Open in 2015.
But 22-year-old Pouille is now Grand Slam hardened having made a maiden Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon.
Monfils, who turned 30 on September 1, is in his third quarter-final in New York. In his last appearance at this stage in 2014, he squandered a two sets lead against Roger Federer.
Wedneday's other quarter-final sees 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, ranked at 142 but on the comeback trail after three wrist surgeries, tackle third seed Stan Wawrinka, a former Australian and French Open winner.
Del Potro: climbing back
Del Potro, the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist in 25 years, has a 4-2 head-to-head record over the 31-year-old Swiss including an impressive victory at Wimbledon earlier this year.
However, the two have never met on hard courts.
The quarter-final has been dubbed as a battle between Del Potro's hammer of a forehand and Wawrinka's precision backhand.
'It's going to be good challenge to play against him,' said Wawrinka who is in his fourth successive US Open quarter-final and is a two-time semi-finalist.
'It's going to be important to try to dictate and be aggressive on the court.'
US Open Results
Results from the eighth day of the 2016 US Open tennis championships at Flushing Meadows on Monday (x denotes seeded player):
Men
4th rd
Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x8) 6-3, 3-2 - retired
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x3) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN x6) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x21) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Andy Murray (GBR x2) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x22) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Women
4th rd
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-2, 6-3
Simona Halep (ROM x5) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x11) 6-2, 7-5
Ana Konjuh (CRO) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4) 6-4, 6-4
Karolína Pliskova (CZE x10) bt Venus Williams (USA x6) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)