After dealing with injuries for the majority of 2016, Jerzy Janowicz is finally healthy and ready to start climbing up the Emirates ATP Rankings.

The former Top 15 player was limited to just one match in the first half of the season due to a knee injury. Janowicz had struggled with knee issues in recent years and underwent a procedure last year to treat a patella tendon rupture in his left knee.

After an extensive period of rest and rehab, Janowicz returned to the ATP Challenger Tour in July at the $75,000 event in Segovia, Spain. He’s primarily been playing Challengers since then as he looks to gain match play and rebuild confidence in his game.

“My rehab was long because I got injured during last year’s US Open and then tried to play through it at the end of the season, which was quite stupid on my side,” he said. “The doctors said it wouldn’t be easy to come back and there was a chance I might not be able to, but I was still hoping to get better. Now, I’m just trying to get back in shape again.”

Janowicz is taking positive steps towards that at this week’s $125,000+H Challenger event in Genova, Italy. Showing that his knee can withstand plenty of time on court, he prevailed in a long three-set match over Lorenzo Sonego of Italy and then defeated No. 2 seed Horacio Zeballos of Argentina in a second-round clash on Thursday.

But perhaps his most encouraging result was actually a loss. At this year’s US Open, Janowicz hung tough with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and even took a set off the defending champion before falling in a competitive match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s never easy to play against Djokovic. It doesn’t matter where or when or what shape I’m in,” said Janowicz. “I was just trying to play my best tennis. I was actually a little bit unlucky because I had quite a few chances to take the first set.”

Janowicz will have another stern challenge ahead of him when he plays second seed Horacio Zeballos of Argentina on Thursday in a second-round clash in Genova. But regardless of how this week turns out for the Polish star, he is confident his game is moving in the right direction.

“Some moments I play good tennis and some moments I’m a little bit down on myself,” admitted Janowicz. “I have to get some matches, [but] this week is actually quite good… I’m getting some confidence out of it.”

While most of the world’s best juniors are competing this week in the US Open junior championships, 17 year old Casper Ruud of Norway is busy racking up wins at the $50,000 ATP Challenger Tour in Seville, Spain.

Competing in his first Challenger, Ruud came through qualifying and is now in the quarter-finals. On Wednesday, he scored his biggest win to date over No. 5 seed Andrej Martin of Slovakia, 6-3, 6-3.

Ruud, who won four matches in four days this week, joins Canadian phenom Denis Shapovalov as the only 17-year-olds to reach an ATP Challenger Tour quarter-final in 2016. The Norwegian has seen his position in the Emirates ATP Rankings skyrocket this year, from outside the Top 1000 to a projected career-high inside the Top 400 with his run in Seville.

“This is a really good tournament. I didn’t know what to expect because it was my first Challenger, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” said Ruud. “There have been people coming out to support us and watch the matches, so it’s been really nice. It’s been a great experience to play some Challengers instead of Futures.”

Ruud has primarily focused on pro events this year. Competing exclusively at the Futures level until his run in Seville, he’s won two singles titles this year and finished runner-up at three other events.

It’s been a natural progression for the rising Norwegian, who started the year ranked No. 1 in the ITF Junior Rankings. He decided to forgo the US Open junior events and instead continue to focus on moving up the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“I wanted to try and win a Grand Slam for the year, but didn’t play too well at Roland Garros or Wimbledon. It was a little bit far to travel for one tournament at the US Open and I’m also heading to China in the fall,” said Ruud. “I wanted to focus more on the men’s circuit, so it made sense to train in Spain and then come here to get some good matches and good experience.”

His training base in Spain is especially fitting because Rafael Nadal is the player that Ruud looks up to most.

“He’s my big idol ever since I was a little kid. He’s very intense and has an extreme style of play,” said Ruud. “I always try to look at good players like Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic, players who bring the game to another level. The level of tennis at the Top 10 is pretty unbelievable at the moment, so I’m trying to learn from that.”

At just 17, Ruud is already the top-ranked player in his country. Although Norway isn’t known as a tennis hotbed, his father, Christian, reached the Top 40 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 1995. Casper is hopeful that he can reach the same heights as his dad and make tennis a prime sport in his country.

“Tennis isn’t that big in Norway, but I hope that it’ll blow up a little bit more there if I do well,” he said. “There are some enthusiastic fans there and they like to follow me around and send me messages, which are nice to receive. Hopefully I can try to do the same as my dad and make tennis a little more popular in Norway.”

In the fourth of a special series of interviews with Roger Federer at home in Switzerland, the 35 year old answers: What has changed more in the past 16 years – Roger Federer or the US Open?

Federer reminisces about his long hair and his tennis journey since first playing at Flushing Meadows in 2000.

His US Open journey is over for 2016, but Juan Martin del Potro leaves with a sense of belief that he belongs back among the ATP World Tour elite after a confidence-boosting run to the quarter-finals. The 2009 champion had to rely on a wild card just to make the main draw and it took a two-time Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka, to end his hot streak.

Having spent much of the past seven years sidelined with wrist operations, including the past two US Opens, the 27-year-old Argentine arrived in New York City at No. 142 in the ATP Emirates Rankings. His run to the last eight included upsets of three seeded players, without the loss of a set.

Third seed Wawrinka would gain revenge for a Centre Court loss at Wimbledon. The 31-year-old Swiss stepped up to seal a 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashes Stadium in the early hours of Thursday morning, but the result was enough to convince del Potro he was well on the comeback trail.

With Wawrinka closing on victory a boisterous New York crowd broke into chorus, urging the Argentine on. “I can lose the match, but I will never forget this,” del Potro said. “It’s bigger than winning any match.

“I’m so proud to get that from the crowd, because I have been putting in a big effort to play tennis again. They made me so happy tonight, and I don’t mind the score.”

It was del Potro’s first Grand Slam quarter-final since Wimbledon 2013 and his run catapults him back into the Top 65 in the ATP Emirates Rankings. Timing his thunderous forehand to full effect once more, del Potro admits match fitness after such extended breaks from the game is still a work in progress.

“I think my tennis is starting to respond as I want, but physically I’m still down,” he said. “I’m not in the same level as these guys. I need to just stay healthy and wait for the pre-season to get 100 per cent for next year.

“I’m already Top 100, so that’s good. Never will I ask for wild cards anymore. And everything here is positive for me. I’m so glad for that.”

Andy Murray’s hopes of passing Novak Djokovic atop the Emirates ATP Race to London suffered a setback on Wednesday with a five-set upset to Kei Nishikori on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The second seed was in the driver’s seat to claim his eighth victory from nine FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters with the Japanese World No. 6 when he surged to a two-sets-to-one lead. 

But the Japanese star, a US Open finalist in 2014, had other ideas, racing through the fourth set before closing it out for a narrow 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 result.

“Obviously I was in a good position up a set and a break and chances at the beginning of the fourth set, as well,” Murray said. “I could have won the match for sure.

“It happens sometimes … I have won a lot over the last few months, but couldn’t quite get it going my way today.”

Murray stood to pass Djokovic in the Emirates ATP Race for No. 1 had he gone on to win his second US Open and had the Serbian failed to reach the final.  He came into the match with a 26-1 record since finishing runner-up to Djokovic at Roland Garros. While disappointed, the Scot denied his run of success had taken its toll.

“I felt all right today. Kei has played a lot of tennis, as well, over the last few months,” Murray said. “This slam in particular – I think for all of the players, especially the ones that have done well over the summer period on the hard courts – it’s a tough one.”

He leaves New York City satisfied with his US summer campaign. A trip home to Glasgow for Davis Cup is next before he continues his quest to close the gap on the one man ranked above him.

“I have not let anyone down,” Murray said. “I tried my best. I fought as hard as I could with what I had today.

“I pushed myself as hard as I could over the last few months, and I’m very proud of how I have done. If someone had offered me the summer that I have had before Wimbledon, I probably would have signed for that.” 

Kei Nishikori turned in his latest clutch performance on Wednesday, upsetting Andy Murray in the US Open quarter-finals to reach his second career Grand Slam semi-final in New York and his first since the 2014 US Open. In a back-and-forth contest that featured 17 breaks of serve, Nishikori was ultimately the more settled player during the match’s tightest moments. He took the three-hour and 57-minute contest 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.

“There were many up and downs, but I tried to [stay] calm. I think that’s the most important thing I did today. Even though there were many up and downs I tried to stay tough,” Nishikori said.

The memorable performance is just the latest time “Clutch Kei” has stepped up in a decider. Heading into the match, Nishikori had been the most successful player of all-time in matches that had gone to a decider, according to the FedEx ATP Performance Zone. Nishikori owned a 96-26 record, giving him a winning percentage of 79 per cent, a higher percentage than anyone in the history of the sport.

At no point on Wednesday was Nishikori more clutch than deep in the fifth set. With Murray serving at 5-all in the decider, Nishikori attacked a second serve and, as he did 39 times in the match, he approached the net. Nishikori lunged at Murray’s passing shot and his forehand volley dropped in for an uncontested winner and the break. The sixth seed served out the set to reach the last four in Flushing Meadows.

“I saw some opportunities to come in today so I tried to be aggressive. I saw that’s what I had to do, especially against Andy. He has great defense,” Nishikori said. “I don’t know why I served and volleyed a lot today… but it was working. I think it was a great mix, serving and volleying and coming to the net.”

The previous time Nishikori reached the US Open semi-finals he went on to contest for his maiden Grand Slam final before falling to Croatian Marin Cilic. In this year’s semi-finals, Nishikori will face either Argentine Juan Martin del Potro or Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who play the late match in Arthur Ashe Stadium tonight. “Either way it’s going to be tough. I’ll try to stay calm and be ready,” Nishikori said.

Nishikori has a losing record against both of them: 2-3 against Wawrinka, and 0-4 against del Potro. But as he showed on Wednesday, the FedEx ATP Head2Head records mean little when Nishikori finds his stride in New York.

With the win, he improves to a 5-0 record against Top 10 players at the US Open. The victory also marks just the second time Nishikori has beaten the Brit during their nine FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. In fact, before a five-set Davis Cup match earlier this season, Nishikori hadn’t even taken a set off of Murray. The Scot started their rivalry by winning the first 12 sets.

The quarter-final match in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium began the way their past series had gone as well. The 2012 US Open champion Murray controlled the first set and looked to be well on his way to a semi-final in New York for the fourth time. The 29 year old won more than half of his return points and especially attacked Nishikori’s second serve, winning 8/10 second-serve points.

“Obviously I was in a good position up a set,” Murray said.

Read More: It’s Djokovic’s Decade In New York

But the sixth seed Nishikori bounced back in the second set, mixing in drop shots and more slice and refusing to simply rally against the No. 2 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The Shimane, Japan, native said he especially benefited from a brief chat with his coach Michael Chang, a former World No. 1 and a finalist at the 1996 US Open. The two talked as officials covered Arthur Ashe Stadium with its new roof at 3-all.

“After the rain delay I think I improved a little bit with my coach, and I tried to change my tennis and it started working better. I started to get my rhythm back,” Nishikori said.

In the third set, neither player could take control. The set featured five breaks of serve, and the most crucial came at 4-all on Nishikori’s racquet. The 26 year old was serving 30/40, 4-4, when he tried another drop shot but floated it wide to give Murray the break. After a hold to start the fourth, it looked like Murray would, at last, seize control of the quarter-final contest and continue his stellar stretch into the semi-finals. Since losing in the Roland Garros final, the Brit had gone 26-1 and reached seven consecutive finals.

Read More: Murray Strolls Into QFs

But Nishikori would not go away. At 1-0, during a break-point opportunity for Murray, a loud noise in Arthur Ashe Stadium caused a let. Murray looked flustered after the disturbance, and Nishikori took advantage. The 2014 US Open finalist reeled off six straight games to even the match and force a deciding fifth set.

In the decider, “Clutch Kei” showed how he has achieved a higher winning percentage in matches that go to a decider than anyone in tennis history. Nishikori stayed calm. Even after he broke Murray for a 6-5 lead in the fifth, Nishikori didn’t jump or shout with excitement; he simply walked to his chair and prepared to hold and reach the semi-finals at the US Open.