DPA/Barcelona
Defending champion Kei Nishikori (pictured) lost his first set of the week before storming back to eliminate Spanish seventh seed Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and power into the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open yesterday.
World number five Nishikori finished with five aces and four breaks of serve in just under an hour and three-quarters.
The Japanese ace and US Open finalist will today play the winner from clay-tough Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo and Slovak Martin Klizan, winner of the Casablanca trophy last month.
Nishikori now owns a 19-1 record when playing as a tournament top seed.
Nishikori swept the opening set as he began with a break but suffered a second-set reversal as Bautista-Agut took a 4-2 lead. The Spaniard saved two break points in the final game of the set to square the match at a set each.
Nishikori regained his devastating clay form in the third set to race to victory.
“I had a bit of a let-down in the second set and he played very aggressive with a lot of big forehands. I had a bad game with lots of unforced errors.
“But I lifted my level in the third set again and played aggressive like I’d done in the first. I’m happy the way I’m playing now.
“It was a tough match, I’m glad to be in the semi-finals and hope that I can continue my level.
“If I can stay injury-free and play well, I have a chance this entire clay season.”
Nishikori remains a strong title contender after the surprise elimination of eight-time champion Rafael Nadal in the third round by Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
“Of course it’s a surprise that Rafa was beaten, it’s sad for the tournament. But Fognini is a tough player and he’s beaten Rafa before. There are still a lot of tough Spanish and other players in the field.”
Fognini, who will try and stretch his run of form against Pablo Andujar, had not won a Barcelona match in five previous attempts and had to recover from a set down in his opening encounter.
The 13th seed is only the third player to beat Nadal in Barcelona after Alex Corretja in 2003 and Nicolas Almagro in 2014, and the first non-Spaniard.
He is also the fifth player to register two career wins against Nadal on clay (after a February victory in Rio) and the third to register back-to-back wins on clay against Nadal.
