Novak Djokovic vs. Kei Nishikori: US Open 2014 Men's Semifinal Score and Results

First Rafael Nadal had to withdraw. Then No. 4 seed David Ferrer fell in the third round. No. 5 Milos Raonic and No. 7 Grigor Dimitrov followed suit in the fourth round. Then No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 6 Tomas Berdych fell in the quarters.

And now, in a tournament full of upsets and one where we've seen big names dropping like flies, perhaps the biggest shocker yet happened on Saturday, as No. 10 Kei Nishikori defeated No. 1 Novak Djokovic to advance to the final, winning 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Nishikori didn't just knock off the game's top player. Heck, he didn't just knock off the Nos. 5, 3 and 1 seeds in succession. Nope, he also became the first Asian-born male to reach a Grand Slam final:

Christopher Clarey of The New York Times passes along postmatch comments from Djokovic:

Nishikori now awaits the winner of the other semifinal between No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 14 Marin Cilic.

Opportunism was the word of the day for Nishikori. He converted five of the seven break points he created, taking chances at precisely the right moment to catch Djokovic off guard.

It was a risky but smart gamble, as Djokovic had the stronger service game on the day—an 80 percent conversion rate on his first-service points and 13 aces to just five for Nishikori—though Nishikori's second serve consistently bailed him out, as he converted 50 percent of his second-serve points.

From the outset of the match, Nishikori seemed controlled and poised. He raced out to a quick start, though Djokovic roared back even more quickly to brush him aside in the second. That set up the epic third set, as Nishikori seized control of the match by winning the tiebreaker.

Still, there was the feeling that Djokovic wasn't done, that he might pull on the same level of experience and grit that Roger Federer had called upon to come back against Gael Monfils. But Nishikori was too poised on this day, too composed. 

Even if he was feeling the pressure of the moment, according to Judy Battista of NFL.com:

It was indeed Nishikori's presence that most impressed Andrew Brandt of ESPN:

After all, nobody would have necessarily expected him to get this far, let alone beat Djokovic. Consider the following from Bryan Armen Graham of Mic:

Everybody loves a long shot, and they don't get much longer than Nishikori. He hasn't won the final yet, however, and either opponent will represent a stiff challenge, namely the experienced Federer. Even after knocking out three top-five seeds, his biggest obstacle is still in front of him.

Given how he's handled the stage thus far, however, it might not be wise to bet against him.