By Erik Gudris | Wednesday, February 11, 2015

 

Two-time defending champion and top seed Kei Nishikori held off Ryan Harrison to advance at the Memphis Open in a draw filled with American players.

Photo Credit: Corleve

While the draw at the Memphis Open is filled with American talent, it's Japan's biggest star who remains the man to beat this week.

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Top seed Kei Nishikori goes in quest of his third straight title in Memphis. The two-time defending champion got a tougher match than many expected from American qualifier Ryan Harrison in their Wednesday night second round encounter.

Though now ranked No. 164, Harrison showed plenty of the game that took him inside the top 50 a few years ago. With confident tennis, Harrison claimed the opening set 6-3.

Yet it was only a matter of time until Nishikori began winning more of the longer rallies. But even when Nishikori took the second set and went up an early break in the third, nothing was certain. Harrison continued with aggressive tennis and came within two points several times of breaking back in the decider.

But, after three match points went by, Nishikori was finally able to close out the tough match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It was a tight game, but I’m really happy to win,” Nishikori said to ATP.com. “I think it’s important to win something like this sometimes, it’s good for confidence, but I have to raise my level a little more tomorrow."

Nishikori now faces another American qualifier in Austin Krajicek in the quarterfinals.

The 24-year-old Krajicek is enjoying a breakthrough week in Memphis. Having won only one ATP main draw match in his career until this week, Krajicek is now into his first ever ATP quarterfinal. He did that by upsetting No. 5 seed and last year's runner-up Ivo Karlovic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4.

U.S. No. 1 and third seed John Isner now finds himself in a potentially awkward match next round against his good friend Sam Querrey.

Isner advanced Wednesday night with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Ivan Dodig. Earlier in the day, Querrey got past American wildcard Jared Donaldson 6-4, 6-1.

"We do everything together - lunch, breakfast, dinner; we talk about anything but tennis," Isner said about Querrey. "He really is my best friend on tour, and I think he would say the same thing about me. But he won’t be my best friend come Friday."