TENNIS ATP Madrid 2014 – Kei Nishikori overcame a tough third-round match against Milos Raonic winning 7-6(5) 7-6(5) after two tight tie-breaks to reach the quarter final at the Madrid Mutua Open Master 1000 Tournament. Nishikori equals the same same result achieved last year in the Caja Magica when he beat Roger Federer. Diego Sampaolo
Interviews, results, order of play and draws of the Mutua Madrid Open
Raonic “(Nishikori) played better than I did the important points. He played better than I did the two tiebreaks”
Raonic saved five break points in the fifth game of the opening set to hold serve for 3-2. In the sixth game the young Canadian converted his fifth break point chance before holding serve in the next gam.
Nishikori fought back from 2-5 down in the first set. He converted the sixth break point chance of the match to claw his way back to 5-4.
The Japanese player then saved two set points to draw level to 5-5. Nishikori rallied from 0-30 to hold his serve to take the 6-5 lead but Raonic forced the first set to the tie-break.
Raonic got a mini-break to go up 5.3 but Nishikori won four consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-5.
There were 13 break point chances in the first set but the second set went on serve without breaks of serve until the tie-break. Nishikori got a mini-break to take a 2-1 lead and pulled away to 4-2. Nishikori wrapped up the tie-break with 7-5 in just over two hours.
Nishikori increased his winning streak to eight consecutive matches on clay. He is looking to win his second consecutive clay tournament on Spanish soil after conquering Barcelona two weeks ago. Nishikori is aiming to break the top-10 in the ATP Ranking and qualify for the ATP World Finals in London.
“It was really tough because against Raonic you don’t get many rallies and you don’t get rhythm. He was very aggressive and played well. I am happy to get into the quarter finals of a Master 1000. It’s a great opportunity for me. I am playing well and feeling very confident”, said Nishikori.
Nishikori will take on Spaniard Feliciano Lopez who took advantage of a walkover after Austrian rising star Dominic Thiem was forced to pull out of his third round match due to illness
Nishikori and Lopez are tied 2-2 in their previous head-to-head matches but the Spaniard won thir previous clay match three years ago in Barcelona.
