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By Chris Oddo | Friday October 9, 2015

 
Kei Nishikori, Tokyo 2015

Kei Nishikori rallied from a set down to reach the Tokyo semis with a win over Marin Cilic in Tokyo.

Photo credit: Koki Nagahama

Kei Nishikori has now won two straight against Marin Cilic in 2015 after he completed a rousing comeback to triumph over the Croat 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Friday at the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo.

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Nishikori will continue his quest for a third Tokyo title, and a first title defense, when he meets Benoit Paire in the semifinals.

Played beneath the mid-day sun and in front of an extremely enthusiastic crowd, Japan’s hometown favorite dropped the opener to an in-form Cilic after surrendering the lone break in the sixth game.

The second set looked to be heading to a tiebreaker, but Cilic wobbled when serving in the 12th game, tossing in back-to-back errors to allow Nishikori the break.

Cilic’s window of opportunity came and went quickly in the third set. Nishikori aced him to stave off a break point opportunity in the first game and did not face another for the rest of the match.

Nishikori would ride the momentum of that save to two break points in the next game, but Cilic fought him off admirably to hold for 1-all. After a hold in the next game Nishikori sought the trainer’s assistance with an ailing right shoulder, but after a five-minute delay he returned to go right on the attack again and finally broke through on his fourth break point of the set to lead 3-1.


Down the stretch Nishikori held his nerve and finally polished off Cilic with a love hold that ended with a curling ace down the T that brought the crowd to its feet.

Nishikori will face Paire for the second time less than six weeks in Saturday’s semifinals. Nishikori was upset by Paire at this year’s US Open in the first round after holding two match points. Paire came back from a set down to take down Nick Kyrgios in three sets in Friday's final match in Tokyo.

The other semifinal will see top-seeded Stan Wawrinka battle with Gilles Muller.

Wawrinka improved to 46-13 on the season with a straight-sets win over American Austin Krajicek; Muller stunned third-seeded Gilles Simon in straight sets to end a string of ten consecutive losses against the Top-10.

 

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