As players prepared for the U. S. Open last year, Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic were not necessarily pegged as frontrunners to advance to the final at Flushing Meadows. But both had different ideas as they peaked on the North American hard courts. Now a year later, each is looking to do the same and duplicate their 2014 success in New York.

A discussion continues to ensue as to which players outside of the “Big Four” are best positioned to break through for a major title. Nishikori is consistently on this short list of competitors who are seemingly on the brink. However, injuries along with other intangibles have stood in his way thus far. It appeared that the Japanese star would accomplish this goal in New York last season. But after three successive wins against top-six players Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, and Milos Raonic, Nishikori had little left in the tank for Cilic in the final.

Last season, Nishikori rode a wave of momentum into the North American hard court season, but it was cut short with an injury at the Citi Open in a quarterfinal loss to Richard Gasquet. The setback forced him out of U. S. Open warmups in Cincinnati and Toronto. Despite the impairment, he put together an impressive run in New York.

This season, he is hopeful to compile positive results in a full slate of pre-U. S. Open tournaments despite a leg injury suffered at Wimbledon. The 25-year-old has his sights on entering Flushing Meadows fine-tuned this year. “Before the U. S. Open last year, I didn’t have time to have good practice, so this year should be different,” he said. ““I feel most comfortable on hard courts, the conditions are not easy, but I’ve shown I can handle it.” Optimistically, Nishikori has claimed that his injury suffered during the grass season is a non-factor now.

Despite the fact that he has not advanced past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament in 2015, Nishikori entered this week’s Citi Open with a 21-5 record on hard courts. He has held firm in the top 10, currently ranked fifth in the world.

Meanwhile, Cilic has been inconsistent and much like Nishikori, has been hampered with injuries since his U. S. Open championship in 2014. But similar to last season, the Croat appears to be finding his form on the American hard courts.

After earning his first major title last September, Cilic finished the year with just a 6-5 record. He entered Washington with just a 14-10 record in 2015 and has only advanced past the quarterfinals once in his 11 tournaments played. But the world No. 8 showed positive signs at Wimbledon during a run to the quarterfinals. Now, returning to the hard courts, he appears to have found his top gear once more.

The 26-year-old played well on the American hard courts last summer and built a strong tide heading into New York. His play thus far in Washington resembles his effort in 2014. However, this season he will wear a target on his back as the defending champion in New York.

Fittingly, both Nishikori and Cilic have advanced to the semifinals of the Citi Open and will square off against each other for the first time since their U. S. Open final. Each enter the match with the state of their play in perspective.

“His game is more consistent than mine is. That's the reality,” said Cilic. “Still, for me, I feel that my form can go up. It's on the way up. So that's a very positive thing. We'll see tomorrow how things are going to play out.”

Meanwhile, a confident Nishikori assessed his game, “I'm sure that I am a better player than last year,” he said. “I think I have more patience and am a more solid baseline player, and I try to be a little more aggressive than before.”

Their semifinal match on Saturday will not carry the weight of their match in New York last year, but for two players seeking a return to a Grand Slam final, it will be a strong litmus test with less than a month until the final major of the season. Nishikori has unfinished business in the States, while Cilic hopes to validate his lone Grand Slam with a second. With time to fine tune on a surface that each embraces, both are capable of entering Flushing Meadows as threats once more.