Milos Raonic of Canada returns a shot against Jurgen Melzer of Austria during their second-round match at the Japan Open in Tokyo yesterday. Raonic won 6-4, 6-3. (EPA)
US Open finalist Kei Nishikori overcame a sluggish start to advance to the Japan Open quarter-finals yesterday, while Milos Raonic also stayed on course to make it third time lucky at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo.
Fourth seeded Nishikori beat American Donald Young 6-4 7-6(4) in 78 minutes but not before he was made to toil at the Ariake Colloseum in front of his home fans.
Much to their relief, the 2012 winner saved one set point at 5-6 before gaining a mini-break at 5-4 in the second set tie-break to stay on course for a fourth ATP title of a career-best season.
“I’ve known my opponent since we were playing in juniors,” Nishikori was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.
“We each know what the other’s got, so it’s a little hard to play him, but I competed without losing my concentration. “I made sure to play a solid game in the second set, too.”
Nishikori needs to beat Jeremy Chardy to reach the semi-finals in Tokyo and add to his total in the tight race to reach the season-ending ATP Finals in London next month.
Frenchman Chardy upset seventh seed Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4 in the final match of the day.
Raonic, a finalist in Tokyo for the last two years, fired 11 aces past Austrian Jurgen Melzer for a 6-4 6-3 victory.
The Canadian broke Melzer in the 10th game to bag the opener before dropping a 3-0 lead in the second set and allowing Melzer to draw level.
But Raonic unleashed a wrong-footing forehand winner for his third service break and sealed the contest with an ace down the middle.
“I felt as though I played very well today,” said Raonic, who meets Denis Istomin in the quarter-finals after the Uzbek downed Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny 6-4 7-6(5).
“Jurgen played well to break me in the second set, but I’m happy with the level in which I finished both the first and second sets.
“I’m going to have to be well prepared for tomorrow and focus on keeping my level,” added Raonic, who is currently ninth in the race to London with five of the eight spots up for grabs.