By Tennis Now | Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Polish No. 1 Hubert Hurkacz toppled top-seeded Nishikori, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, and Nikoloz Basilashvili beat defending-champion Roberto Bautista Agut in Dubai.
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Holding his racquet in his non-dominant hand, Kei Nishikori practiced some shadow swings lefty between points today.
Hubert Hurkacz disarmed the top seed then dumped him from the Dubai draw.
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The Polish No. 1 pounded nine aces toppling Nishikori, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, to charge into his first career ATP quarterfinal with his first Top 10 victory.
"It means a lot to me," Hurkacz said. "It gave me huge self-belief because I was starting to play more Tour events, I was rising in the rankings and then finally the win came that I really needed.
"It's very, very important for me. Kei is an incredible player. He has amazing results. The beginning of the year he won the tournament...so it's a huge win for me."
Nishikori said the combination of breezy conditions and a bold opponent brought his Dubai debut to an abrupt end.
“Well, he played good, I think. I didn’t play perfect today, but I think he was playing good serves," Nishikori said. "Yeah, better than I thought. I mean, with this wind and this surface, not easy. I mean, of course, I didn’t serve well when I wanted to. I mean, it happens. With these conditions, it’s never easy. I think he really played well in the important games."
A commanding Hurkacz reeled off 12 consecutive points at one point, while Nishikori struggled with several forehand mis-hits and seemed to fade physically.
"I was trying to play every point as good as I can," Hurkacz said. "It wasn't maybe the best match. It was a little up and down, but it's really, really important for me. Kei is a great player."
A fortunate net-cord favored Hurkacz giving him break point in the fourth game of the final set. Hurkacz beat Nishikori at his own game, banging a backhand down the line and following it forward to draw an errant pass and break for 3-1.
The typically stoic Japanese smacked a ball in frustration at dropping serve then bounced his Wilson racquet after sailing a backhand as Hurkacz hammered an ace to back up the break for 4-1. Nishikori flung his racquet at his chair over the mounting miscues.
“For sure I wasn’t returning well and I was missing some easy shots at the beginning on his serve," Hurkacz said. "Finally, I played a better game. He was a little surprised because I was making some balls and I was staying aggressive. That gave me a lot of confidence. The second set didn’t start the way I wanted it. I had to fight to come back. I am happy with the win in three sets."
It was a day of upsets in Dubai.
Nikoloz Basilashvili defeated defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut for the first time in three meetings, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3.
The 19th-ranked Basilashvili blasted 19 aces against one double fault and converted four of nine break points in a two hour, 12-minute triumph. Basilashvili, who swept fourth-seeded Karen Khachanov in his opener, will face either sixth-seeded Borna Coric or Tomas Berdych for a semifinal spot.
2014 US Open finalist Nishikori carried a 12-2 record on court, including saving all eight break points he faced in a 6-4, 6-3, sweep of Benoit Paire in his Dubai debut.
None of that mattered much to Hurkacz.
Often straddling the baseline, the world No. 77 hurt Nishikori with his return game and depth. Hurkacz converted six of seven break points in a confident two hour, three-minute conquest that came a week after he earned his first ATP win of the year in Marseille.
The 22-year-old Pole will play Marseille champion Stefanos Tsitsipas for a semifinal spot. Tsitsipas demolished Belarusian qualifier Egor Gerasimov, 6-3, 6-1.
Tsitsipas won 26 of 30 first-serve points in a 57-minute victory to stretch his winning streak to six matches.
Empowered by winning his second career title on Sunday, the fifth-seeded Tsitsipas is ranked a career-high No. 11 as he plays his fifth quarterfinal of the season.
Gael Monfils continued his winning flight.
The Rotterdam champion swept Marcos Baghdatis, 6-3, 6-2, to score his seventh straight win.
The 23rd-ranked Frenchman soared into his third consecutive quarterfinal where he will take on Ricardas Berankis, a 6-4, 6-1, victor over Denis Kudla.