Reigning champion Kei Nishikori came from a set down to beat Marin Cilic at the Rakuten Japan Open on Friday and set up a semi-final meeting with Frenchman Benoit Paire.
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The second set looked to be heading to a tiebreaker, but Cilic wobbled when serving in the 12th game, tossing in back-to-back errors to allow Nishikori the break.
Nishikori – who had his racquet knocked out of his hand by one Cilic serve – was only able to win one point from the sixth seed’s next two service matches as he took the opening set, but the 2014 victor came out in the second ready to battle. After a hold in the next game Nishikori sought the trainer’s assistance with an ailing right shoulder, but after a five-minute delay he returned to go right on the attack again and finally broke through on his fourth break point of the set to lead 3-1.
Meanwhile, tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios brutalised Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, the muscular Australian taking less than an hour to complete a 6-4, 6-2 second-round victory in Tokyo with a few equally strong-arm tactics.
Wawrinka has already defeated Muller twice this season, in Chennai and a month later in Rotterdam in February.
Marin Cilic of Croatia hits a return against Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarter-final match …
Wawrinka made no mistakes as he powered past Krajicek in just 58 minutes, and the left-hander had no answer to the rapier-like ground strokes of the French Open champion.
“I felt a bit more relaxed today and confident with my game”, said Wawrinka, who is chasing a fourth title of the year and the 11th of his career.
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The Swiss won 6-3 6-3 to reach his first ever Tokyo Open semi final and he will face the talented Luxembourger Giles Muller, who defeated Gilles Simon in straight sets.
