Nishikori Hangs On To Survive Kuznetsov Scare

January 16, 2017 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff

Japan’s Kei Nishikori needed to use everything he had in his tank to advance to the second round of the Australian Open on Monday, outlasting Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2 in three hours and 34 minutes.

“I didn’t quite play great tennis in the beginning, but especially in the fifth set, I think I was really focused and played good tennis,” said Nishikori. “I’ll try not to play a long match like this again. But the fifth set was pretty good, so I think I’m in good shape for the next round.”

After Nishikori won the second and third sets, he built a 5-2 advantage in the fourth-set tiebreaker and looked to be on his way to a four-set victory. But Kuznetsov rallied, winning six of the next seven points to steal the tiebreaker and force a deciding fifth set.

But Nishikori dug in and recorded a break for a 3-1 lead in the final frame, and went on to run away with the set to hang on.

In the next round, Nishikori will take on a player who had to play just four games in his opener on Monday in Jeremy Chardy. The Frenchman led 4-0 over Spain’s Nicolas Almagro before Almagro retired.

Former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka got a scare himself in his opener on Monday and the Swiss managed to outlast Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

“It was a tough one, for sure. But I’m really happy to get through in five sets,” said Wawrinka. “It wasn’t my best tennis today, but I was fighting, trying to stay in the game. I think he was playing well. He didn’t give me too much rhythm.

I’m happy to get through, that’s the most important thing.”

Up next for Wawrinka is American Steve Johnson who dispatched Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Johnson was joined by fellow Americans Jack Sock, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison and Noahh Rubin who all won their first-round matches on Monday.

World number one Andy Murray cruised past Ilya Marchenko 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-2 in his first Grand Slam match as the world number one.

Murray moves on to take Andrey Rublev, who got past Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 on Monday.

Australian’s Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic both impressed in their respective openers, both advancing with routine straight-set victories.

France’s Lucas Pouille, who reached the Wimbledon and U.S. Open quarterfinals last year, saw his Australian Open run come to an end early, as he was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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