Kei Nishikori plays Marin Cilic on Monday in the 2014 U.S. Open final. The match starts at 5:00 p.m. ET. Watch the live stream below.
Not many predicted Nishikori and Cilic would be playing in the finals. It's the first time since 2005 that none of tennis's big three - Roger Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - are in the final, according to the Independent, making Monday's match even more unique.
Nishikori, 24, dropped only five sets en route to the final while delivering huge upsets to Stanislas Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Although most tennis fans were surprised, Nishikori was not.
"You know, I was ready to play, you know, these kind of players always. Especially this year I have been playing really well," he said after the match, via the tournament website. "I went to final in Masters once and, you know, I have been beating those top guys already. ... I think the confidence helped for today's match. I was playing really well and really aggressive, and, you know, didn't wait for the ball. Even the opponent is, you know, Novak, I was playing my tennis. Everything worked well today."
Nishikori is ranked eighth in the World and has five career titles under his belt.
Opposite of Nishikori will be Cilic. The World's No. 12 player dropped only three sets on his way to earning a spot in the finals, with impressive upsets over Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer.
"Just an amazing day for me," Cilic said of his three-set win over Federer, via ESPN. "I feel amazing. To play like this, I never dreamed. I think today was the best performance ever in my career."
Watch the live stream HERE, or listen to the radio broadcast HERE.
