Update | 9th-seeded Wawrinka knocks off Murray at US Open
Ninth-seeded Wawrinka fires winners from everywhere as defending champion howls at himself during frustrating quarter-finals defeat
For a few hours, Andy Murray seemed to go back in time, back to the days before he had won majors, when mental meltdowns marked many of his grand slam efforts.
If fans stumbled into his quarter-final match against Stanislas Wawrinka at Arthur Ashe Stadium, they might have sworn it was 2010 or thereabouts. Murray spent much of his time howling at himself, the wind, anything he might deem responsible for a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 loss.
In fact, though, Wawrinka was mostly responsible, playing all-out from the first point to the last. He was firing winners from everywhere - 45 total - and running down even the best of Murray's shots. He never let Murray get comfortable, settle in, start rekindling fond memories of winning his first career major here last year.
"He just played great," said Murray, who did not earn a single break point in the match. "He hit a lot of lines, was going for big shots and he played too well."
For Wawrinka, seeded ninth, it was a breakthrough victory, earning his first trip to a grand slam semi-final.
For most of his career, Wawrinka has been known as the other player from Switzerland, obscured by the shadow of his occasional doubles partner Roger Federer. Federer had already been sent reeling from this tournament, leaving the understudy in a starring role.