TENNIS #NEXTGEN STAR SHINING & KEI NISHIKORI SAVES 3 MATCH POINTS TO BEAT TOMMY PAUL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Written by: Staff on 4th August 2017

Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC

TENNIS #NEXTGEN STAR SHINING & KEI NISHIKORI SAVES 3 MATCH POINTS TO BEAT TOMMY PAUL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

epa06125530 Kei Nishikori of Japan in action against Tommy Paul of the USA during their match at the Citi Open tennis tournament at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 04 August 2017. EPA/PETE MAROVICH |

Zverev still dominating among #NextGen stars, Nishikori outlasts Paul in Washington, D.C.

By Ricky Dimon

Alexander Zverev continues to separate himself.

The 20-year-old German, who is already up to eighth in the rankings, held all nine of his service games while saving two break points. Zverev survived his opening match of the week against Jordan Thompson in a third-set tiebreaker but has since picked up the pace to beat Medvedev and Tennys Sandgren in straight sets.

“I love the atmosphere and the people in Washington,” the No. 5 seed commented. “It’s a young crowd and they’re very loud, so it’s always fun to play here. I’m just happy to be through to the semifinals, but obviously don’t want to stop here.”

Medvedev’s Washington, D.C. run has stopped, but he may be part of the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan–along with Zverev–at the end of the season. Medvedev, 21, has climbed to No. 50 in the world. The Russian is expected to be ranked 48th next week thanks in part to wins over Reilly Opelka, Steve Johnson, and Grigor Dimitrov. Medvedev got the best of both Opelka and Johnson in third-set tiebreakers.

“I think Medvedev has a huge game, like a lot of the Russian players who are playing very aggressively,” Zverev noted. “He looks much stronger in the past year and moves very well, so his game is coming along.”

Tommy Paul of the USA in action against Kei Nishikori of Japan during their match at the Citi Open tennis tournament at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 04 August 2017. EPA/PETE MAROVICH

So, too, is the game of Tommy Paul. Following a breakout tournament last week in Atlanta (quarterfinals), Paul also reached the last eight in Washington, D.C. and came within one point of extending his run to the semis. Kei Nishikori, however, saved three match points and eventually outlasted the 20-year-old American 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4. The entertaining tussle lasted two hours and 39 minutes.

The length of the match was certainly longer than Paul’s shorts. Rocking white nikes that did not come close to his knees, a la John McEnroe in the 1980s or a present-day Rafael Nadal, Paul also let his game do the talking with an array of winners of both his forehand and backhand wings.

But he did not have quite enough in the tank to get the job done on match points with Nishikori serving at 3-5 in the second, at 6-5 in the tiebreaker, and again at 8-7 in the ‘breaker.

As such, Nishikori advances to face Zverev on Saturday. The other semifinal will pit Kevin Anderson against Jack Sock.

10sBalls Editors Notes: Ricky slightly mentioned the really funny undershorts Tommy Paul was wearing under his white Nike shorts. Fyi. We love the Cut (style) of this seasons Nike clothes. Bravo Roy. It was hot and humid and everything was sort of wet and clingy and seeing his “undies” almost all the match was funny.

It’s also odd that Kei gets so “PATCHED”… we’ve read the ATP Rulebook. We have “patched” players. Kei’s patches are excessive in both size and number and yet No one seems to care.

Other players are stopped on court to change clothes? Remove or cover patches. Whatever. We love Kei. Just saying…

We think players should all be allowed to wear whatever advertising patches any size shape or color on their clothes. They are in earning years and need to capitalize on their popularity… Well except for WIMBLEDON.

The Washington D.C. Schedule was ridiculous this week. Donald Young had two matches start after 11:3o and finish close to two am. And Kei had two nights in a row of the same “rockstar “hours.

No athlete can perform well at bed time. Oh well they do live in a constant state of Jet lag all year anyway… But what about the ball kids, lines people, tourney event staff. Wow. Tough week… Great match. (LJ)

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.

Kei Nishikori of Japan in action against Tommy Paul of the USA during their match at the Citi Open tennis tournament at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 04 August 2017. EPA/PETE MAROVICH

Topics: 10sballs.com, Alexander Zverev, Atp World Tour, Citi Open, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Kei Nishikori, Reilly Opelka, Ricky Dimon, Sascha Zverev, Sports, Steve Johnson, Tennis News, Tommy Paul, Washington DC

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