Kei Nishikori

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Former Champs Kyrgios & Nishikori Return: Defending champion Nick Kyrgios and 2015 titlist Kei Nishikori will compete here again. Kyrgios went on a memorable run to the Citi Open trophy two years ago, when he saved a match point against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals and beat Daniil Medvedev in the final. The Australian will open against home favourite Mackenzie McDonald.

Nishikori is fresh off a quarter-final showing at the Tokyo Olympics, where he defeated World No. 7 Andrey Rublev in the first round. The Japanese star, who has made at least the quarter-finals in his past four Washington appearances, will begin his campaign against American Sam Querrey in the first round.

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Nishikori Flies From Tokyo Into Washington Second Round

Spoiler:

Japanese star to face Bublik in second round
Former champion Kei Nishikori’s Citi Open campaign is off to a flying start following a straight-sets win over familiar foe Sam Querrey on Monday. The Japanese World No. 67 clinched his seventh victory from 11 ATP Head2Head meetings against the American, 6-4, 6-4.

Nishikori arrived in Washington from Tokyo, where he had become the first man to reach three straight Olympics Games quarter-finals (l. to Djokovic). Despite the quick turnaround to adjust to conditions in the US capital, he broke three times and prevailed convincingly in 86 minutes .

“Yeah we have played a lot. It’s been many times,” the 2015 Citi Open champion said in his on-court interview. “It’s not easy playing Sam. He has a great serve and especially this surface he has more time to play but... I returned pretty good in those games and I’m very pleased how I played today."


A former No. 4 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Nishikori was rattling through his service games, as Querrey increasingly struggled to hold his own. No sooner had Nishikori fended off break points for the first time in the match at 2-3 in the second set than he turned the screws.

“That was toughest moment I think for today. If he had [won that] game I think he had the whole set,” Nishikori said. “I saved a couple of tough points… little lucky but after that game I think I was a little more free and I was playing better.”


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It was pivotal as he reeled off the last four games of the match to set a meeting with ninth seed Alexander Bublik for a place in the third round. The defeat consigned the 33-year-old Querrey to his fifth straight defeat, following his first-round win over Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening round at Wimbledon.

“I was really tired after coming from Japan and wasn’t sure if I was ready today but on the court I was fine, playing really good tennis,” Nishikori said. “First match is never easy, I wasn’t expecting 100 per cent but I hope I can keep going like this.”

Nishikori’s compatriot, Yoshihito Nishioka, was not so fortunate in his first-round meeting with American Jack Sock. Despite eking out the tie-break for the opening set, the 25-year-old left-hander succumbed to a right leg injury while trailing in the second. Sock advanced 6-7(3), 4-0 ret. and set a second-round encounter against top seed Rafael Nadal.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nishiko ... 021-monday

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[DUN I LOVE]

Jetlag go nie zabił i bardzo płynnie przebrnął trasę z Tokio do Wasyngtonu.

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Nishikori Handles Harris To Return To Citi Open Semi-finals

Spoiler:

Former World No. 4 will next face McDonald
Former Washington champion Kei Nishikori is back into the last four at Citi Open after overcoming a stern test from Lloyd Harris on Friday to win 6-3, 7-5.

The Japanese No. 2 booked a place into his first tour-level semi-final since 2019 in Barcelona (l. to Medvedev) as he improved to 19-14 on the season. Nishikori weathered 10 aces from the big-serving Harris, and broke serve four times from 14 opportunities to seal the victory.

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“It was one of the best tennis [matches] that I played all this week,” Nishikori said. “I think that I started very good – almost too good – until 4-0 and then he started playing better. Things got very tight in the second set; I had so many break points but I couldn’t convert. It was a little stressful, but I am very pleased with how I finished the last points.”

Nishikori was in control of the early exchanges as he raced through the opening set, but faced much more resistance as Harris raised his level in the second set. The top-ranked South African, who claimed his biggest victory over World No. 3 Rafael Nadal yesterday, regularly leaned on his big first serve to keep Nishikori on his toes.


In response, the Japanese player honed in on his opponent’s second serves, and won 64 per cent (21/33) of those points. Harris faced seven break points in the second set and saved six with big first serves, but he couldn’t keep holding off Nishikori after giving him a crucial look at a second serve at 6-5. Nishikori pounced, and claimed the victory after Harris sent a forehand long.

Nishikori, who lifted the trophy here in 2015, will next face unseeded American Mackenzie McDonald, No. 107 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, in the semi-finals. Nishikori is bidding for his 13th ATP Tour trophy and his first since Brisbane in 2019.

How To Watch

It will be Nishikori and McDonald’s first Tour-level meeting. The pair previously met at an ATP Challenger Tour event in 2018 with Nishikori winning comfortably against McDonald, who grew up admiring the Japanese player.

“I think I’m bringing a lot more experience this time. The last time I played him I was pretty 'idolised' by him, and I just didn’t really show up,” McDonald recalled. “He just took it to me. But I’m going for a fight tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

McDonald reached his second Tour-level semi-final after defeating countryman Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes. The 22-year-old saved the only break point he faced in a strong serving performance, winning 82 per cent (28/34) of points behind his first serve.

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