Kei Nishikori, of Japan, returns the ball against Marin Cilic, of Croatia, at the Citi Open tennis tournament, Saturday, August 8, 2015, in Washington.
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As the annual American hard court swing kicks into gear, Nishikori v Cilic is also a timely rematch of last year’s US Open final which the Croatian won to claim his first Grand Slam.
Eleven months ago Cilic beat Nishkori in the U.S. Open final in straight sets at Flushing Meadows, but after a dismal start the Japanese prevailed 3-6 6-1 6-4 in their hardcourt tune-up ahead of this year’s U.S. championships in New York.
Getting his hard-court game in gear a few weeks before defending his first Grand Slam title, Cilic edged the 13th-seeded Querrey 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3).
Cilic, the first reigning US Open champion to play in the US capital since Andre Agassi in 2000, and second seed Nishikori each had first round byes and saw their matches pushed into the wee hours by a rain delay.
In his first match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, Cilic surrendered a break in the seventh game but broke back in the eighth. And he even served for the second set while up a break at 5-3, but got broken there. “I’ve been playing good here and hopefully I can come up with another good one in the semis tomorrow”. Cilic rolled to a 6-1 edge in each tie-breaker to win. “It’s great to be in the quarterfinals and I hope I can keep going and going”.
A barrage of crosscourt backhands helped Nishikori break for the first time and snatch a 2-0 second-set lead.
“Some of them I couldn’t really see”, Nishikori said.
“I was happy with how I played after the first set”.
The second-seeded Japanese awaits the victor of tonight’s all-American semifinal between eighth-seeded John Isner and Steve Johnson. “For sure it is going to be an exciting and entertaining match”.
“I was returning well, and that’s why I could break once each set”, Nishikori said. I’m a little more solid baseline player.
Waiting for her on Saturday is second seed Sam Stosur, who progressed thanks to Monica Niculescu’s retirement with the scoreboard reading 4-0 in the Australian’s favour. Stosur plays American Sloane Stephens next in a shock run for the Aussie after a clay title two weeks ago in Austria.
Women’s winners included top-seeded Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Christina McHale.
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“The world No 18 Isner, whose 6’10” height coupled with a thunderous serve makes him one of tennis’ most lethal players, will be wary of another upset from world No 55 Johnson who surprised Jack Sock last time out.
