By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 6, 2021
Kei Nishikori is playing rounding into form at the Citi Open, where he reached the semifinals on Friday.
Photo Source: AP
Another day, another win, and a bit more confidence. Step by step, the game is coming back to Kei Nishikori. The 31-year-old Japanese star has been telling reporters that he has not felt this good since his elbow surgery in 2019, and the proof is in his tennis.
On Friday the former World No.4 and 2015 Citi Open champion made it seven wins in eight matches since the start of the Tokyo Olympics, with his 6-3, 7-5 takedown of Lloyd Harris.
The victory pushes Nishikori into his first ATP semifinal since the spring of 2019 at Barcelona.
“Since last week I think it's been almost two years I been feeling like this on the courts, like very focus and very steady,” he said. “Not making too much mistakes, unforced errors. Yeah, this feeling I want to really, I hope I can carry couple more weeks until US Open. I think this is, you know, makes me great confidence. Yeah, I hope I can keep going two more matches.”
Harris, who upset top-seeded Rafael Nadal last night at the Citi Open, was a step slow against surging Nishikori, and fell behind 4-0 in the opening set before he dipped his toes into the contest. It was too late to take the opening set, but Harris responded and played some great tennis against Nishikori.
Still, Nishikori kept the edge and held the edge, thanks to a phenomenal strike rate against the South African’s second-serve—Nishikori won 24 of 33 second serve return points and earned 14 break points against the No.14 seed. Harris held his own, but eventually the constant pressure from Nishikori broke him down and the World No.67 broke through, converting his third match point to break in the 12th game of the second set to clinch his 22nd victory of the season.
Nishikori will face American Mackenzie McDonald in Saturday’s semis. The bottom-half semifinal will feature No.5 seed Jannik Sinner and unseeded American wild card Jenson Brooksby.
Nishikori is bidding for his first ATP final since January of 2019 at Brisbane.