By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, January 21, 2019
Kei Nishikori fought back from a two-set deficit rallying past Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-7 (8), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (8), into the AO quarterfinals.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Playing catch-up the entire night, tennis' marathon man made a rousing run to a controversial finish.
Kei Nishikori rallied from two sets and a break down fight past Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-7 (8), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (8), in an exhilarating five hour, six-minute thriller to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth time.
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"It was a very tough," Nishikori said after reaching his 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal. "I don't know how to break back and fight through. (It was) a very great match today."
It is Nishikori's third consecutive major quarterfinal appearance and it didn't come easy.
The 2014 US Open finalist pulled off his third five-set victory of the tournament, including his second triumph in a pressure-packed fifth-set tie break.
The fifth-set tie break hit a controversial turning point with Carreno Busta holding an 8-5 lead.
The Spaniard's shot hit the top of the net and skimmed over, Nishikori was waiting where he knocked off an easy winner, but the linesman incorrectly ruled Carreno Busta's net-cord shot was wide.
Replay showed Carreno Busta's shot touched the sideline.
Rather than replaying the point, the chair umpire ruled the incorrect out-call did not impact the point since Nishikori was in position to finish the easy sitter.
An irate Carreno Busta went ballistic.
"Before he hit the ball, he call out," Carreno Busta implored the chair umpire, who tood firm.
The 23rd-ranked Spaniard never recovered, while Nishikori reignited.
Three straight Carreno Busta errors gave Nishikori a match point.
Stepping up to the line, Nishikori slashed his 15th ace to seal a dramatic five hour, five-minute marathon.
"I feel like not enough," Nishikori joked after spending more than 13 hours on court to reach the last eight. "Not easy of course. Today was the toughest match. Against Karlovic it was also tough super tie break. But today there was many rallies and long match not easy but I will try to recover well tomorrow."
An exceptional fighter, Nishikori raised his five-set record to 21-6, the best final-set winning percentage in ATP history.
An infuriated Carreno Busta walked around net to shake his conqueror's hand then hurled his red Wilson racquet bag across the court and erupted in a primal scream over the perceived transgression.
Afterward, Carreno Busta apologized.
"Obviously I'm very sad, no, because after five hours fighting, after five hours' match, the way that I leave from the court wasn't correct, and I'm so sorry, because that's not mine," Carreno Busta said. "But I think that the referee missed, the umpire who is near the court missed, and, well, I try to leave faster as possible when I lost that last point, because I know that in any moment I lost the head.
"But it's tough, no, to me to leave Australian Open like this, because I think that I played really good. I play an unbelievable match. Also Kei, he play really good, and that's sad to leave like this."
Nishikori and Carreno Busta both came back from the brink in the opening round, with both forced to come from 0-2 down against qualifiers.
Living life on the edge has been empowering for Nishikori, who continues to problem-solve under pressure. It is Nishikori's second fifth-set tie break win in his last three matches.
Facing blurring serves on the rise, Nishikori reeled off the final four points in succession toppling towering Ivo Karlovic, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 5-7, 5-7, 7-6 (10-7), in an electric Australian Open second-round escape act.
The 5'10" Japanese withstood 59 aces from the 6'11" Croatian and stood tall amid spiking stress in the super tie break.
Carreno Busta, the 2017 US Open semifinalist, put himself in position to beat Nishikori in their first meeting, but could not regroup after the tie break call.
Nishikori cracked 81 winners, including 37 of 51 trips to net, and will face either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or 15th-seeded Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the final four.
"I just need to recover well," Nishikori said. "Today was the longest match I have had this week and I just need to recover.
"I have been playing really good tennis an I’ll try to be fresh for the next match. I hope I can have one more good week."