By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 6, 2024
Kei Nishikori rallied past Alex Michelsen to earn an important win on Tuesday at Montreal.
Photo Source: AP
Former finalist Kei Nishikori has not found the winning groove often of late as he tries to mount a comeback to relevance, but that changed on Tuesday in Montreal as the 34-year-old engineered an impressive rally to defeat 19-year-old American Alex Michelsen 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the National Bank Open.
Ranked 567, the 12-time ATP titlist entered the week with only one win in five tour-level matches this season, but he looked resurgent on Court Central on Tuesday as he edged Michelsen in a tight two hour and 33-minute tussle.
Nishikori earns his first Masters 1000 win since Indian Wells 2021 and sets a clash with 8th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"It means a lot, especially the way I played in the third set,” the former World No.4 said on court after his win, according to ATPTour.com. “First and second set, many ups and downs and I was missing a lot of balls. Third set, I was playing pretty good tennis I think, good defence and when I needed to, I was having good movement and playing aggressive. It was working really well."
It was a good day for the comeback trail as Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta as well. The 2022 Montreal champion rallied to defeat Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 6-7(8) 7-6(6) 6-3, saving a pair of match points in the process. It was the World No.799’s first ATP win since the 2023 Australian Open.
The former World No.10 missed about a year and a half with an injured right elbow. He will face Holger Rune, who defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 3-6 6-2, in the second round.
Lorenzo Sonego (d. Griekspoor), Alejandro Tabilo (d. Tiafoe), Tomas Martin Etcheverry (d. Jarry) and Nuno Borges (d. Kecmanovic) also advanced on Day 1 in Montreal.