NEW YORK • Mikhail Youzhny hit fewer aces and fewer winners, needed treatment on his right foot in the fifth set — and still managed to come back and beat Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in four hours Thursday in the U.S. Open semifinals.
"Maybe I was just a bit luckier than him," Youzhny said.
On Saturday, the 28-year-old Youzhny, seeded 12th, will play in his second career major semifinal against No. 1-seeded Rafael Nadal or No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, who were scheduled to play in the first all-Spanish quarterfinal in U.S. Open history later Thursday. Nadal took a 10-0 head-to-head record over Verdasco into that match.
In the semifinal on the other half of the draw, No. 2 Roger Federer will face No. 3 Novak Djokovic. They won their quarterfinals Wednesday.
Four years ago, Russia's Youzhny was unseeded at the U.S. Open, but he knocked off four seeded players, including Nadal in the quarterfinals, before losing to Andy Roddick in the semifinals.
Wawrinka, seeded 25th, was only the second seeded player Youzhny has faced in the tournament this year; he beat No. 18 John Isner of the United States in the third round.
Nothing seemed to rattle Youzhny on Thursday. He dealt with a deficit, a problem with his right foot, and more of the swirling wind that's plagued the tournament. The wind was gusting at more than 15 mph, there were ominous gray clouds overhead, and the temperature was in the upper 60s.
That wind made it tough to control strokes, and Switzerland's Wawrinka made 71 unforced errors, Youzhny 57. That helped Youzhny overcome Wawrinka's advantages in aces (13-2) and winners (48-35). Both men won 154 points.
Youzhny also never appeared to get rattled by all the noise going on near the court as Wawrinka was supported exuberantly by his entourage. On pretty much every significant point won by Wawrinka, the black-clad, sunglasses-wearing bunch in his guest box would stand up, applaud, yell and trade fist bumps. The celebrations were led by Wawrinka's coach, Peter Lundgren — who used to work with Federer and helped him win his first Wimbledon championship.
Wawrinka never had been past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament before this one. He is best known — if known at all — for being countryman Federer's doubles partner at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they won the gold medal.
Yet Wawrinka upset No. 4 Andy Murray, a two-time major finalist, in the third round, then beat No. 20 Sam Querrey, the last American man in the field. But Wawrinka sought treatment for a bothersome left leg in the fourth set Thursday and faded.
