via Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 17: Kei Nishikori of Japan celebrates winning match point in his second round match against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during day four of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
via Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 17: Kei Nishikori of Japan celebrates winning match point in his second round match against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during day four of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Kei Nishikori broke his hard-court hoodoo as he beat Canadian sensation Felix Auger Aliassime in a dominant straight-sets victory at ATP Rotterdam Open. This was Nishikori’s first hardcourt victory in 18 months, having last won one at US Open 2019.
Felix was last year’s runner-up at the tournament and after a fourth-round run at Australian Open 2021 a lot more was expected of him, whereas Nishikori was on a bad run. This was Nishikori’s first victory since French Open 2020. Moreover, he recorded his first victory over a top 20 player since Brisbane Open 2019.
via Reuters
Kei Nishikori during the ATP Cup. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Strong first set from Kei Nishikori and Felix Auger Aliassime
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The match started off on a strong note for both players. Neither player was giving the other a sniff at a breakpoint. Nishikori was back to serving beautifully. He kept a disciplined line and had a high first-serve percentage. Felix was not behind him either.
At 3-3, the tide started shifting towards Nishikori. The Japanese ace was piling the pressure on the young Canadian. Felix’s service holds were long and tiresome, yet he somehow got away.
At 5-4, it looked like Nishikori would get a breakpoint and win the set, but Felix denied him and took the first set to a tiebreaker. Here also both players were inseparable.
It has taken hard work indeed, but after 1 hour and 7 minutes, @keinishikori has claimed the opening set in a tiebreak: 7-6(4). 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/sQImxBngcX
— ABN AMRO WTT (@abnamrowtt) March 1, 2021
At 4-4 in the tiebreaker, Felix cracked and gave an important point to Nishikori. From there on, the Japanese took the first set 7-6. The set lasted 1 hour 7 minutes and had some clutch Nishikori backhands.
Nishikori back to his best
The second set was dominant as any set could be. Nishikori was ruthless and was racing away. He just lost two points of his service in the second set and had an amazing first-serve percentage of 89%. His shots were finding the lines and it showed glimpses of the early Nishikori that everyone feared.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
For Felix, it looked like he was dealing with some niggle. He played awful service games and won just one game in the entire set. Nishikori was having to return simple serves, and Felix wasn’t engaging in the short rallies as well.
First win of 2021 ✅@keinishikori is back to winning ways, sweeping aside 2020 runner-up Auger-Aliassime 7-6 6-1!#abnamrowtt pic.twitter.com/p6eVFk6HJh
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 1, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In the end, Nishikori won seven points in a row to quickly finish the set. The second set lasted only 31 minutes as Nishikori took the set and match, 7-6, 6-1.
