AN inspired Jamie Murray reached his second consecutive grand slam doubles final last night as he and Australian John Peers squeezed past Americans Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-7, 7-6.

Murray produced several moments of brilliance in the final-set tiebreak as he and Peers, who had served for victory at 5-3 in the decider, came from 5-2 down and saved a match point before winning it 9-7.

“My nerves are shot,” Murray said. “We’re so happy to win and get to the final. I think we played a really high level match, somehow we managed to turn it around at the end from 5-2 down. Pumped to be in the final.”

But hopes of two British finalists were ended when Dom Inglot and Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt lost 7-5, 6-2 to the French pair of Nicolas Mahut and Pierre Hugues-Herbert.

The coronation of Serena Williams as the first woman since 1988 to do the calendar year grand slam had appeared to be even more of a formality after Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

But the fickle September weather may have thrown a spanner in the works, postponing the two semi-finals until today, meaning the finalists will have played twice in two days.

Williams, who plays Roberta Vinci of Italy, remains the huge favourite but it’s a schedule that worked against her in 2011 when she was well beaten by Sam Stosur in the final.

So providing the weather holds fair today, the women’s semi-finals will share the bill with two intriguing semi-finals on the men’s side.

Of the four men remaining – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic – only Wawrinka has yet to win the title in New York.

But while defending champion Cilic will try to upset world No.1 Djokovic, it’s the all-Swiss affair between Federer and Wawrinka that could be the most spectacular.

It’s more than three years since Federer won his 17th grand slam title but he has looked rejuvenated over the past 18 months and his new penchant for half-volleying the return of serve showing he is still finding ways to improve.

“For many years now, I have tried to look at the big picture to hopefully still be playing at a high level at this age,” said Federer, who has yet to drop a set. “So in some ways I am not surprised I am playing as well as I am.”