Top seed Kei Nishikori overcame an early scare to cruise into the second round of the Japan Open.
The world No 5 beat American Donald Young 4-6 6-2 6-2 after winning 12 of the last 15 games to the delight of the crowd in Tokyo.
Young was only playing Nishikori after Spaniard Nicolas Almagro pulled out through illness but capitalised on the home favourite missing out on two break points in game nine to secure a break of his own in the 10th and claim the opening set.
But that was as good as it got for the world No 81 as Nishikori raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set before again breaking twice in the decider.
Watch NOW TV
Watch Sky Sports for just £6.99. No contract.
Nishikori, 26, is chasing a third title on home soil, having won the tournament in 2012 and again last year.
And the Olympic bronze medallist from Rio admitted: "I wasn't hitting enough topspin in the first set, and he was playing well.
"He was in the mood to attack and to come in, and he made all his shots. It's been a while since I played singles, so I needed some time to get back into the rhythm.
"He slowed down a little bit and I started to step in and to use my forehand more."
Nishikori now faces Joao Sousa of Portugal in round two.
You __can watch England's tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price!
No comments:
Post a Comment