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Kei Nishikori reflects on Sam Querrey win in Washington

Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori insisted it's never easy to play against Sam Querrey after beating the American at the Citi Open in Washington. 

Nishikori, now ranked at No. 67 in the world, cruised past Querrey 6-4 6-3 to safely progress into the second round. 

Nishikori, 31, is making his eighth appearance on the hard courts of Washington. 

Nishikori has had success in Washington, winning it all at the tournament in 2015. 

“Yeah we have played a lot. It’s been many times,” Nishikori said in his on-court interview, per the ATP website. “It’s not easy playing Sam. He has a great serve and especially this surface he has more time to play but... I returned pretty good in those games and I’m very pleased how I played today."

Nishikori routinely handled Querrey 

Nishikori failed to convert his first break point in the seventh game but broke Querrey in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. 

Nishikori then routinely served out for the opener in the 10th game. 

Nishikori saved four break points in the sixth game of the second set, before breaking Querrey in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead. 

The Japanese then earned his third break of the match in the ninth game to complete a straight-set win. 

“That was toughest moment I think for today. If he had [won that] game I think he had the whole set,” Nishikori said. “I saved a couple of tough points… [I got a] little lucky but after that game I think I was a little more free and I was playing better.”

Nishikori made the Tokyo Olympics quarterfinal in both the singles and doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I was really tired after coming from Japan and wasn’t sure if I was ready today but on the court I was fine, playing really good tennis,” Nishikori said. “First match is never easy, I wasn’t expecting 100 per cent but I hope I can keep going like this.”



from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3A7cQlp

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