By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, March 26, 2017
Kei Nishikori fought off Fernando Verdasco, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, to reach the Miami Open fourth round for the sixth straight year.
Photo credit: Miami Open
Top 10 men are endangered species in Miami.
Reigning champion Novak Djokovic and world No. 1 Andy Murray both withdrew citing elbow injuries.
Watch: Miami Open Live Blog
This morning, third-seeded Milos Raonic pulled the plug prior to his third-round match due to a right hamstring injury that also forced him to concede a walkover in last month’s Delray Beach final.
Pushed to a decisive set today, Kei Nishikori was in no mood for an early exit.
In a match of major momentum shifts and sometime patchy play, Nishikori fought off Fernando Verdasco, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 6-1, to advance to the Miami Open fourth round for the sixth straight year.
Nishikori, who owns the ATP all-time best winning percentage in decisive sets (.763), has now won 14 of his last 16 matches in Miami.
The second-seeded Japanese will face another left hander, Argentina’s Federico Delbonis, for a place in the quarterfinals. The 57th-ranked Delbonis defeated Jan-Lennard Struff, 7-6 (5), 6-1.
Amid windy conditions and tricky topspin from his lefty opponent, Nishikori jumped out to a 4-1 lead only to lose the range on his groundstrokes and see Verdasco strike back with more authority.
Signs of instability were evident as Nishikori slapped his hand against his strings as if admonishing his unruly racquet, sent some sticks out for restringing and committed a series of uncharacteristic errors.
The Dubai finalist answered with a four-game run ripping a forehand down the line to break back for 5-4. Serving for the set, Verdasco fought back from triple break point down only to float a forehand deep as Nishikori broke back.
The forehand is Verdasco’s signature shot, but it scrawled three errors in a four point span in the breaker. Nishikori slid an acute-angled backhand winner and followed with another crackling backhand winner to gra a one-set lead.
Settling in, Nishikori again surged out to a 3-1 lead.
Verdasco earned triple break point in the sixth game, but Nishikori swiftly snuffed out the uprising with five consecutive points, twisting a short-angled backhand winner crosscourt to hold.
Verdasco took treatment for apparent tightness in both forearms. After receiving rigorous massage on his left forearm, the Spaniard returned to court and went to work on his opponent’s serve. Nishikori nullified his fourth break point of the set sliding a 118 serve wide and wrong-footing Verdasco with a forehand.
Another wide serve eliminated a fifth break point. Jerking Verdasco side-to-side Nishikori saved a sixth break point. A series of three quick volleys, including a creative drop volley winner, earned Nishikori game point. He bolted a backhand down the line extending the lead to 5-3.
Whipping the slider serve wide, Verdasco saved a match point forcing the 2016 finalist to serve it out.
Complications arose as Nishikori’s 78 mph second serve was punished for a third break point. Nishikori scattered a backhand wide as Verdasco broke to force the tie break.
A pair of missed inside-out forehands gave Nishikori a 5-3 lead in the breaker. Again, he had the match on his racquet and again he could not close it dropping four straight points. Verdasco cranked a heavy forehand followed by a backhand down the line for break point.
Curling a crosscourt forehand winner, Verdasco snatched the second set sending members of his support box bouncing up and down in joy.
Pushed to triple break point in the fourth game, Verdasco played some of his most dynamic tennis of the set crunching forehand winners and stinging his seventh ace down the middle. The left-hander would save a fourth break point. Nishikori hammered a backhand down the line for break point number five. Verdasco floated his sixth double fault deep donating the break and a 3-1 lead.
For the second time in three sets, Nishikori had a 4-1 lead.
This time there was no stumble. Nishikori finished with a flourish of down the line drives sealing a physical victory in two hours, 44 minutes.