Kei Nishikori is making a habit of losing early in odd years at the US Open. Two years ago he was the victim of Briton Dan Evans in the first round. This year it was the turn of Frenchman Benoit Paire to upstage last years beaten finalist, and he did it in style, coming back from two sets to one down to secure his third win over a top ten player, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.
Both players came in with form, fourth seed Nishikori winning Washington, and a semifinal showing in Toronto, and Paire a recent titlist in Stockholm.
The shock was on the cards from the very beginning, as Paire broke early to take the first set. It was a case of opportunities taken and missed as Paire broke and Japanese star Nishikori failed to break when presented with four chances of his own. Nishikori, pressed hard on second serves, but managed to take only five points on the Paire first serve in the opening set.
The second set seemed like normal service resumed as Paire’s unforced error count steadily rose to eclipse his winner ration. The difference was telling. Nishikori dropped just five points on serve, and managed to break from one of his two opportunities to level affairs.
Yet the match remained close, and Paire had two chances of his own in the third set, though it was indeed Nishikori who eventually broke, once again capitalising on his superior consistency to lead by two sets to one.
Paire refused to go away though, and gamely continued to hold through the fourth set. Both men’s serving statistics dropped to their lowest points of the match so far but neither could engineer a break point. A tiebreak beckoned, and Nishikori held two match points at 6-4, but Paire held his nerve, serving superbly to level the tiebreak and then lead 7-6. Nishkori then faltered on a standard groundstroke to take the match to a decider.
Nishikori continued to dangerously waver in the fifth set, and finally fell when Paire broke for 3-2, after some particularly inspired returning. Paire then found his rhythm, slamming down seven aces, denying Nishikori even a single break point in his final three service games to secure just his second five set victory.
Paire will face Marsel Ilhan of Turkey in the second Round, Ilhan moved past Radek Stepanek afther the Czech retired during the fouth set.
Nishikori’s defeat removes Novak Djokovic’s seeded opponent for the semifinals, and opens the draw for seventh seed, Spaniard David Ferrer.
