CITI OPEN TENNIS – KEI NISHIKORI REBOUNDS AGAINTS JAMES DUCKWORTH TO WIN TUESDAY NIGHT

Written by: Staff on 5th August 2015

CITI OPEN TENNIS - KEI NISHIKORI REBOUNDS AGAINTS JAMES DUCKWORTH TO WIN TUESDAY NIGHT

Kei Nishikori of Japan in action against Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia during their fourth round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2015. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT |

Kei Nishikori recovered after dropping the opening set tie-break to see off Aussie James Duckworth 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-4 at the Citi Open Tuesday night.

Duckworth saved one set point to win the opening set in the tie-break 10/8, hitting 15 winners to Nishikori’s 18. Nishikori books a third-round showdown with either No. 16 seed Leonardo Mayer or Blaz Rola in the third round.

“I started good actually. But in a 5-4 service game I kind of get tight and couldn’t make any first serve and he started well so that was the only one game in the first set and tiebreaker was really close,” said Nishikori. “But from second set I started playing more solid, less unforced errors, little more aggressive, everything worked well. I’m happy with after second set.”

“Congratulations! K.Nishikori goes to the next round.
K. Nishikori def. J. Duckworth 6-7 6-1 6-4
#KeiNishikori #CitiOpen” – Photo by @keinishikorifanclub via Instagram.

Nishikori, who was playing his first match since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon due to a left calf injury, admitted, “Could be, it was first match after Wimbledon so it wasn’t easy,” he said. “I was a little bit tight so I should be OK for the next one.”

Nishikori was joined in the third round by Marin Cilic, the player he lost to in last year’s US Open final.

The Croatian overcame a late-night start to his second round match and an early challenge from Korean Hyeon Chung, one of only four teenagers in the Top 100, to post a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory.

The 19-year-old Chung stood toe to toe with Cilic, holding a break early in the opening set before managing to force a tie-break. From there, though, the World No.8 shifted up a gear to bring up five set point opportunities. Despite double-faulting on his first set point, Cilic made no mistake of it on his second opportunity. Cilic jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set and went on to break Chung’s serve to love.

“He’s had a great year this year. He went through Challengers very quickly and into the Top 100. The first time playing him wasn’t easy and he’s a great counter-puncher and moves well on the court,” Cilic said. “Today the conditions were very humid so it wasn’t easy to play and to put the ball away but the key part was for me was to come back in that first set, to get that break back and win the first set. After that I got momentum going and the tennis was a good quality in the second set.”

He next faces American No.13 seed Sam Querrey and is feeling confident about the summer US swing. “I think it gives me more confidence for sure,” said Cilic. “The reason I was playing well last summer over here will give me more faith in my game. I’m just hoping I’m going to have enough matches before the US Open.”

Earlier, Argentine qualifier Guido Pella beat Croatian Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-7(7), 7-5 in two hours and 26 minutes. The 25-year-old Argentine will face sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round.

Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller also progressed with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri. The win, after one hour and 28 minutes, sets up a clash with fourth seed Richard Gasquet.

(Courtesy of the ATP and Original Link – http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/washington-2015-tuesday-nishikori-cilic )

Topics: Atp World Tour, Citi Open tennis, James Duckworth, Kei Nishikori, Tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

August 5, 2015 at 12:46 pm

-@CitiOpen #tennis – @keinishikori REBOUNDS AGAINTS @JamesDuck21 TO WIN TUESDAY NIGHT- http://t.co/vN3fdpSkdZ #CitiOpen #Nishikori #ATP