FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – Ever since the US Open moved to Flushing Meadows 30 years ago, Louis Armstrong Stadium was a place stars were born and champions were made or eventually broken.

Although the old Singer Bowl has taken a back seat to Arthur Ashe Stadium over the past decade, the venerable facility still gets its chance to shine for a match or two at each and every Open.

Eighteen year-old Kei Nishikori found that out first hand yesterday when he upset fourth seeded David Ferrer in five sets, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5.

“Right now I'm very happy,” a visibly tired Nishikori said after the match. “Yeah, that's the only word I can say now. And, you know, I couldn't give up the fifth set.”

At his young age, the Japanese national was not used to the five set match of the US Open. As the match continued through the third and fourth set, Nishikori’s legs started to cramp, the 123 m.p.h serve in the early sets, started losing some zip, which allowed Ferrer to come back in the contest.

But Nishikori was able to get his second wind in the fifth, after he called out his trainer to work on his legs and lower back.

“After the trainer came it was much better, but I had still last couple games like tough to move,” he said.

In that fifth set, the Japanese star actually took a 5-2 lead, but Ferrer came back to ultimately tie the match at 5. Nishikori was able to take the last two games for the win as his Spanish opponent suffered through a tough day with 59 unforced errors in the match, including 18 in the fifth and a first serve percentage of 51.

“Maybe in the fifth set, I didn’t serve very well,” said Ferrer, the highest men’s seed to be ousted so far. “I played very regular all match.”

Ferrer did lead 4-2 during the first set, but Nishikori roared back with four straight win and then took the second set fairly handily, which won over the Armstrong crowd, who chanted his name after every point.

“I think that was the most important thing today,” he said. “That helped me so much, and my coaches and my family. Yeah, I get so excited today.”

Then the cramps came and Ferrer had no problems returning a 111 m.p.h serve during the third and then a 103 m.p.h in the fourth to easily win those rounds.

“I tried to think, I am playing David; he's No. 4 in the world, and playing five set with him,” Nishikori said. “I felt like kind of happy and think more positive.”

Whatever drove him during the fifth allowed Nishikori to take a two set lead, but Ferrer was able to come back. Ultimately, the Japanese player was able to break the Spaniard during the final set of the match for only his second win against a top 20 player.

Notes: Nishikori’s first win over a Top 20 player came in Daytona, FL back in February against James Blake…He becomes the youngest player to reach the fourth round since Marat Safin in 1998…He also the youngest man to beat one of the top-four seeded men in the hard-court major championship since a 17-year-old Bjorn Borg upset No. 3 Arthur Ashe in 1973…Nishikori also became the first Japanese man to reach the fourth round at the Open.