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US Open PHOTOS: Wawrinka shows Murray the door; reaches first Slam semis
Defending champion Andy Murray was the latest Grand Slam winner to be bundled out of the US Open, thrashed in straight sets by Stanislas Wawrinka in a quarter-finals shocker on Thursday.
Ninth-seeded Wawrinka dominated an out of sorts Murray 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in just over two hours, winning the battle from the baseline and the net against the Wimbledon champion.
The victory on a wind-blown Arthur Ashe Stadium court lifted the 28-year-old Swiss to his first Grand Slam semi-final.
'It was a crazy match for me'
The surging Wawrinka, who raised his 2013 record to 41-15 with the upset win, raised both arms in triumph after third seed Murray dumped a second-serve return into the net on match point.
"It feels amazing for sure, especially here," the excited Swiss said. "He's defending champion, he's a tough opponent. It was a crazy match for me. To beat him in three sets is just amazing."
Wawrinka broke the Scotsman four times and never faced a break point against a player noted for his ability to return.
The Swiss cracked 45 winners past a listless Murray and won 31 of 42 forays to the net in the one-sided match.
Wimbledon hangover for Murray?
Murray admitted to something of a Wimbledon hangover after ending a drought of 77 years without a British winner since Fred Perry's 1936 triumph at the All England Club.
"When you work hard for something for a lot of years, it's going to take a bit of time to really fire yourself up and get yourself training 110 percent," the Scotsman said.
"That's something that I think is kind of natural after what happened at Wimbledon. But I got here. I got to the quarter-finals of a Slam, which isn't easy."
Much more was expected of Murray, as it was for the other Swiss player that factored at Flushing Meadows - Roger Federer.
Seismic shocker
Murray's loss was the second seismic shocker to strike the men's draw in the last two rounds following the straight sets dismissal of five-time US Open champion Federer in the fourth round by Spain's Tommy Robredo.
Robredo's rousing victory robbed fans of a quarter-finals match between Federer and Rafael Nadal that would have marked the first US Open meeting ever between the two champions, who have met 31 times elsewhere around the world.
Wawrinka's victory sank the possibility of a Murray semi-final against top seed Novak Djokovic that would have reprised their 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon finals.
Djokovic was playing the last men's quarter-final against 21st-ranked Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in Thursday's night match.
Murray complained about the breezy conditions, but credited Wawrinka for playing a brilliant match.
"He played great. He hit big shots. He passed extremely well. He hit a lot of lines on big points. He served well. That was it," said Murray. "He played a great match."
Novak Djokovic cruises
Novak Djokovic stayed the course on Thursday to complete the last four lineup.
Winds blew across Arthur Ashe Stadium but that did not bother top seed Djokovic, who defeated Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 to claim a berth in Saturday's semi-finals.
'He never give you some presents'
"I'm always trying to play my best tennis in the Grand Slams," said World No 1 Djokovic, who reached his 14th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final. "I'm really working on my game."
Youzhny, the 21st seed, said the Serb had never given an inch. "Every point you have to play," the Russian said. "He never miss. He never give you some presents."
Djokovic, one week younger than his friend and fellow 26-year-old Murray, would seem to benefit from the shuffle.
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