NEW YORK -- The Latest on the U.S. Open (all times local):9:40 p.m.Stan Wawrinka will face Novak Djokovic for the U.S. Open title in a rematch of last years French Open final.Down a set and a break Friday, the third-seeded Wawrinka took control to oust Kei Nishikori 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2. Hell seek his third major championship Sunday against the top-ranked Djokovic, who he defeated at Roland Garros in 2015.Wawrinka needed to save a match point in the third round against 64th-ranked Dan Evans before prevailing in five sets. But he started to find his form in a quarterfinal victory over 2009 U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro.The sixth-seeded Nishikori rallied to upset Andy Murray in five sets Wednesday, and he picked up where he left off at the start of his semifinal. But with Wawrinka saving six straight break points during one stretch in the second set, Nishikoris legs started to go on a humid evening.---9 p.m.Stan Wawrinka is one set from his first U.S. Open final.The No. 3 seed Wawrinka has come back after dropping the opening set of his semifinal against No. 6 Kei Nishikori 6-4 on Friday night, taking the next two 7-5, 6-4 by breaking in the last game of each of those sets.Wawrinka won the 2014 Australian Open and the 2015 French Open.Nishikori was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2014.---8:45 p.m.Arthur Ashe Stadiums retractable roof is being closed because of rain during the third set of the U.S. Open semifinal between No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 6 Kei Nishikori.They split the first two sets, and Wawrinka is leading 4-3, on serve, in the third.Wawrinka was up a break in that set, but Nishikori broke right before the rain delay.---8:05 p.m.No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka and No. 6 Kei Nishikori have split the opening two sets of their U.S. Open semifinal.Nishikori took the first set 6-4, then went up an early break in the second. But Wawrinka broke back, saved four break points at 3-all, another pair at 4-all, then broke Nishikori in the last game to grab the second set 7-5.Wawrinka is a two-time major champion and trying to reach his first final at Flushing Meadows. Nishikori was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2014.The winner will face No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the title on Sunday.---7:15 p.m.Gael Monfils says he was just trying to change up his strategy against Novak Djokovic, and hes sorry John McEnroe thinks thats unprofessional.McEnroe, a commentator for ESPN, accused Monfils of not giving his full effort after falling behind 5-0 in a four-set, semifinal loss to the top-seeded Djokovic on Friday, at one calling him unprofessional in one of the greatest lack-of-effort matches in the semifinal of a major that Ive ever seen.Told about McEnroes comments, Monfils says hes very sad to learn that such a legend (would) criticize me, because at the end what I can say to John is, `You know, John, I want to be the best. Its tough, you know. And I try my best.Monfils says what McEnroe -- a seven-time Grand Slam titlist -- saw as a lack of effort was actually an attempt to change up his strategy and give Djokovic another look. He appeared to be acting like he was not interested, and suddenly whip big shots.When you change, you change with what you got, Monfils said. What I got is my speed. I got a little bit of my instinct and flair.---5:56 p.m.Facing an opponent who occasionally played as if he had somewhere better to be, Novak Djokovic reached his 21st Grand Slam final and seventh at the U.S. Open with a bizarre 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Gael Monfils on Friday.Djokovic, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, dipped in form in the third set, and had a trainer massage his left shoulder and, later, his right shoulder. Djokovic entered this match enjoying the easiest path to a major semifinal in the nearly half-century of the Open era: Three of his first five foes either stopped playing or pulled out of the tournament entirely because of injuries.Then came this contest, which topped them all for oddness, drawing some jeers and whistles from the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium: The 10th-seeded Monfils, normally a showman and in only the second Grand Slam semifinal of his career, seemed to just give up at times.On Sunday, Djokovic will try for his third U.S. Open championship and 13th major trophy overall, facing No. 3 Stan Wawrinka or No. 6 Kei Nishikori.---5:12 p.m.Gael Monfils has come to play, suddenly, while Novak Djokovic is getting his left shoulder massaged, as they head to a fourth set in their unusual U.S. Open semifinal.Djokovic took the first two sets 6-3, 6-2, and went up 2-0 in the third, with Monfils appearing barely interested at times. But Monfils came back to take the third set 6-3, and Djokovic got treatment on his shoulder during a couple of changeovers.Djokovic ripped his white shirt off as he dropped the third set.---4:15 p.m.Novak Djokovic has won a bizarre first set against Gael Monfils in their U.S. Open semifinal.Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead Friday, with Monfils looking extremely tight and struggling with double-faults. The 12-time major champion had triple set point while serving at 5-1, and Monfils was seemingly trying to give away the game. But that appeared to rattle Djokovic, and Monfils won that game and held in the next one, slicing everything back to draw errors from his opponent or lure him into the net for a passing shot.Monfils had two break points at 5-3 to get the set back on serve, but Djokovic saved them to finally close it out.---2:30 p.m.The second edition of the new Laver Cup exhibition event, pitting six mens tennis players from Europe against six from the rest of the world, will be held in the United States in 2018.The U.S. Tennis Association held a news conference during the U.S. Open on Friday to announce its partnership with the team event, which will debut in Prague in September 2017.Neither a date nor site has been chosen for 2018.Roger Federer, whose management company TEAM8 is behind the Laver Cup, and Rafael Nadal have said they will participate next year, when Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will be the captains of the two squads.The format includes three singles and one doubles match each day.---1:45 p.m.Mate Pavic of Croatia and Laura Siegemund of Germany won the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship in their first tournament together, beating the American duo of Rajeev Ram and CoCo Vandeweghe 6-4, 6-4 in the final Friday.Pavic and Siegemund decided to pair up shortly before the deadline to sign up for the draw at Flushing Meadows and did not drop a set during the tournament.I have a great partner. Now I know him a little bit better, Siegemund said during the trophy ceremony. Our games match. Hes a great server. Any girl would like that, I guess.They will split $150,000 in prize money for earning the title. Neither had played in a Grand Slam final before.Ram and Vandeweghe also were first-time partners and eliminated defending champions Martina Hingis and Leander Paes in the second round.Ram won a silver medal in mixed doubles with Venus Williams at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last month. Marquise Brown Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Ray Lewis Womens Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. http://www.ravensrookiestore.com/Ravens-Marquise-Brown-Jersey/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Jaylon Ferguson Youth Jersey . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Lamar Jackson Womens Jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. When you spend your childhood just a five-minute drive from an aquatics complex as famed and friendly as Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, California, chances are you strapped on swim goggles even before you slid on your first backpack.Thats how Maureen OToole grew up, churning through the water on a near-daily basis, first as an age-group swimmer in this seaside city, and later as the greatest womens water polo player in the world.Its a childhood many have experienced on the southeast side of this global maritime hub, a way of life thats catapulted some -- like OToole -- all the way to the Olympics.Woodrow Wilson Classical High School has been the biggest beneficiary of the lifestyle that comes with a proximity to the diverse waterways of Long Beach, and Belmont Plaza in particular. The indoor pool there was the site of the 1968 and 1976 Olympic swimming and diving trials and numerous other high-profile meets before it was demolished in late 2014 due to earthquake retrofit deficiencies.Stunningly, Wilson has placed at least one alumnus in every Summer Olympics since 1952 (save for 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Games). Of the schools 29 Olympians in that span, 16 were swimmers, divers or water polo players. Tony Azevedo stretched Wilsons consecutive Games streak to 16 this summer by qualifying for his fifth straight Olympic mens water polo team.Theres something in the water, joked OToole, now 55.And its not just the local freshwater tanks that have played a key role in sending athletes to the worlds biggest stage. Five other Wilson graduates have qualified for the Summer Olympics in rowing, triathlon, sailing or windsurfing.Of course, having the Pacific Ocean at your doorstep and a consistent westerly breeze certainly helps with development and preparation in those sports, but Long Beach boasts another unique training venue: one of the few marine stadiums in the U.S.Long Beach Marine Stadium was the first man-made rowing course in the U.S. when it was carved out of Alamitos Bay in 1925. It was expanded for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and has hosted U.S. Olympic trials in 1968, 1976 and 1984. It was at the 1968 trials that John Van Blom qualified for the first of his three Summer Games.When Van Blom was at Wilson, he and his family lived on a boat in the Long Beach Marina, and he would row a dinghy across the bay to catch a ride to school. He never thought much about competitive rowing until an announcement in the morning bulletin caught his attention. A coach was looking to form a high school rowing team down at the Marine Stadium boathouse.Van Blom quickly discovered his tall, lanky frame was ideal for long, powerful strokes.It was just serendipitous that the boathouse was there and there was somebody who wanted to coach high school kids, Van Blom said.Land-roving athletes from Wilson have delivered their share of success as well. Volleyball player Bob Ctvrtlik single-handedly kept the streak alive as the schools only Olympian in 1992 and 1996. Ctvrtlik, who competed at three Games, helped the U.S. win gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992.Like most other Wilson graduates who moved on to international fame, Ctvrtliks introduction to his sport came on city property. Part of the Bayshore Playground featured blacktop volleyball courts, where local high school player Len Julian provided instruction and organized matches.That was the first time Ctvrtlik noticed something: Athletes liked to give back in those neighborhoods, and it often paid off.There were 10 of us that started playing volleyball on asphalt, Ctvrtlik said. Out of the 10, four ended up getting collegiate scholarships.Ctvrtlik is the only volleyball player from Wilson to qualify for the Olympics, however. The school also has sent six track and field competitors to the Games and one baseball player, Sean Burroughs in 20000.ddddddddddddBut aquatics have always dominated this side of town.Wilsons Olympic streak began, triumphantly, with Pat McCormick in 1952. She won two golds in diving that year and repeated the feat four years later. She remains the only female diver to accomplish that double-double. Her daughter, Kelly (not a Wilson alumna), later won silver in 1984 and bronze in 1988. They remain the only mother-daughter duo to win Olympic medals.Tim Shaw was another Wilson graduate who made Belmont Plaza his second home. It was there that he qualified for the 1976 Olympics, where he would eventually win silver in the 400-meter freestyle. Shaw returned to the Olympics in 1984, four years after the Moscow boycott, as a member of the mens water polo team, helping the U.S. win silver and becoming one of four Americans since 1976 to medal in two sports.Then theres OToole, who as a sophomore at Wilson was encouraged to try out for the boys water polo team by then-coach Bob Gruneisen. She more than held her own, even emerging as one the teams best players her senior year.OToole had joined the inaugural U.S. national womens team in 1978 but continued to compete with her male counterparts, even spending two seasons on the mens team at Long Beach City College under three-time Olympic coach Monte Nitzkowski. OToole spent 21 seasons overall with the womens national team, earning World Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year honors six times.She retired from the national team in 1994 but returned three years later after the IOC voted to add womens water polo for the 2000 Games. At the age of 39, OToole scored the first two goals in a 6-5 semifinal victory over the Netherlands. The U.S. would lose in the gold medal match on a last-second shot by Australia.OToole began giving back to the Long Beach community even before her first retirement. One of her first trainees was Azevedo, then about 6 or 7 years old. OToole said thats another element that ties into the success of Wilson: great athletes returning to coach the next wave.A perfect example is Azevedos father, Ricardo, who moved to Long Beach from Rio de Janeiro as a 16-year-old in 1972 and enrolled at Wilson. He played water polo for Brazil at the 1976 Olympics and then began one of the sports premier coaching careers.One of his coaching stops was at Wilson from 1990-98, when he led the Bruins to four top-division championships.Its just like this big full circle, OToole said. Everybody gives back what was given to them.The community is hoping to give back even more with a new and improved municipal aquatics center.The city council passed through an Environmental Impact Review draft for the proposed Belmont Beach and Aquatic Center during a study session last month. Construction, however, is believed to be two years away, as the project still needs approval from the California Coastal Commission. The proposed design includes indoor and outdoor Olympic-sized pools, an indoor diving well, a recreational pool and other amenities.Ctvrtliks brother Jeff was part of a group that pushed for the construction of a temporary pool alongside Belmont Plaza, providing local swimmers and water polo players a place to continue training and competing.That ended up being a real nice addition, Bob Ctvrtlik said of the temporary pool. Hopefully, theyll be able to get that project through with Belmont Plaza. Its kind of turned into something really big, but that would be another jewel to keep it going.Tony Azevedo won four high school championships inside the rickety Belmont Plaza facility. Bringing it back in state-of-the art form should help keep Wilsons Olympic pipeline flowing.After all, theres no shortage of youngsters willing to make that five-minute trek. ' ' '