US Open Tennis 2016: TV Schedule and Men's Semifinal Predictions

As the men's side of the U.S. Open progressed, it looked like a championship matchup between top seed Novak Djokovic and No. 2 seed Andy Murray was in the cards.

There were some physical questions about Djokovic's health in the early stages concerning his wrist and right arm, but he has made it to the semifinals. Three of his opponents either could not play or had to retire, but he has survived and advanced.

The same cannot be said for Murray, who cruised to victory in his first four matches before meeting Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals. While Murray won two of the first three sets, Nishikori came on with a rush and won the match in five sets.

Murray, who had won at Wimbledon and claimed an Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro last month, was unable to hold on to his momentum, and it was a shocking defeat.

As a result, Djokovic will meet Frenchman Gael Monfils in the first semifinal at approximately 3 p.m. ET at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday. Nishikori will try to earn a spot in the final when he faces Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka shortly after the Djokovic-Monfils match is over.

Match	Time (ET)	Court	TV	Predictions
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Gael Monfils (10)	3 p.m.	Arthur Ashe	ESPN	Djokovic
Stan Wawrinka (3) vs. Kei Nishikori (6)	5 p.m.	Arthur Ashe	ESPN	Nishikori

Djokovic has played just two full matches in the tournament. Jerzy Janowicz extended Djokovic to four sets in the first round, and the Serbian defeated Kyle Edmund in straight sets in the fourth round.

He had a walkover against Jiri Vesely in the second round, while third-round opponent Mikhail Youzhny had to retire in the first set, and quarterfinal opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had to leave the match after the second set.

Djokovic told reporters he is not worried about the lack of competition he has faced in the tournament.

“I mean, I have played so many times," Djokovic said, according to Nick McCarvel of USA Today. "I was so many times in a particular situation where I had long matches on the road to the semis of a Grand Slam. I’ve also had some Grand Slams where I didn't spend too much time on the court."

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The 10th-seeded Monfils has been impressive during his run in the U.S. Open, winning all five of his matches in straight sets. Perhaps the most impressive of those victories came in the quarterfinals against fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who had eliminated Rafael Nadal in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament.

If Monfils is going to give Djokovic a battle, he'll have to serve well and go for winners with his groundstrokes. The last thing he wants to do is get into long rallies with Djokovic, because the Serb superstar is not going to make errors.

No. 3 seed Wawrinka played his most impressive match in the quarterfinals against upset-minded Juan Martin del Potro. After splitting the first two sets, Wawrinka was able to gain control by moving the ball around the court and won the match in four sets.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Nishikori came up with one of the most significant victories of his career by outlasting Murray. He turned his match around by blitzing Murray 6-1 in the fourth set and then finished off the Wimbledon champion 7-5 in the final set.

Nishikori said one of the keys to his victory was finding a way to stay calm against Murray. 

“It was too exciting on the court, but I tried to stay calm,” he said after the match, per the Associated Press (h/t Denver Post). “It was really tough to stay calm. … There were many ups and downs.”

Predictions

While Djokovic may have gotten some lucky breaks in getting to this point, he is right where he is supposed to be. He is the best player in the world and knows how to compose himself in the semifinal round of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.

That means he is not going to make mistakes. If Monfils is going to beat him, he will need a dominant serve and overpowering groundstrokes. That's not going to happen, as Djokovic wins this match in four sets.

Wawrinka played well in beating Del Potro, and he has the kind of relentless game to reach the final. However, Nishikori has a wave of confidence after putting it together in the final two sets and beating Murray.

Look for Wawrinka and Nishikori to test each other, and the latter will win the match in five grueling sets.