Nishikori beats Isner in three sets to win Citi Open

Reigning US Open champion Cilic defeated German teen Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) while Nishikori, the top remaining seed after Britain’s Andy Murray crashed out, ousted Australia’s Sam Groth 6-4, 6-4 in quarter-final matches.

“I think overall I was playing well”.

Arsenals might be different – Sunday’s Citi Open men’s final between 5-foot-10 speedster Kei Nishikori and 6-foot-10 lumbering John Isner is perhaps the flawless example. “It’s never easy gainst these big servers but I’m playing well against these guys”.

“I’m certainly a bit low on fuel, probably, but as far as health goes, there’s nothing (injured) per se….”

Nishikori applied more pressure on Cilic’s serve in the second set that resulted in two breaks of serve for the World No. 5. At the next changeover, Isner was visited by a trainer, removing his shirt and getting his right shoulder massaged.

The second-seeded Nishikori figured the last eight for the hard-court tuneup for your You can include.S. Open in this sequential season.

The turning point of the match for Nishikori actually came after Isner surprisingly broke him towards end the first set, 6-4.

The second-seeded Nishikori made only seven unforced errors, half as many winners as he produced in the 1 1/2-hour victory.

On a muggy day with barely a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the mid-80s, there were not many extended exchanges from the baseline, but when there were, Nishikori usually won the point. He broke Isner’s serve in the first game of the second set and took a 2-0 set lead after holding serve.

Kei Nishikori of Japan returns a shot against Marin Cilic of Croatia during their semifinals match of the Citi Open tennis tournament, at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 08 August 2015. The drama turned when Isner charged the net and hit a backhand volley victor, then closed the match with a service victor.

“He got up a break, and it gave him some more confidence”, Isner explained. “Nothing changes too much for me”, Groth said, looking ahead to facing Nishikori. “I had to guess sometimes but I was there all the time and it was a great winning percentage on my first serve”.

National Women’s Soccer League: The visiting Washington Spirit (7-5-3) fell behind 2-0 on goals in the 12th and 18th minutes and lost, 2-1, to the Boston Breakers (4-10-3).

“The first set I was playing extremely well”, Cilic said. Isner held serve emphatically, sealed with a deep and wide forehand victor to edge in front at 2-1. They would play for almost another 25 minutes, but the final essentially was over.

Isner dropped 30 aces and won 85 percent of first serve points.

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Nishikori, seeking his 10 career title after crowns at Memphis and Barcelona this year, is the first Washington finalist from Asia since Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan in 2002.