Juan Monaco squeaks past Kei Nishikori for final showdown – Proton Malaysian Open 2012
Argentinean number two, Juan Monaco, got the better of the third seed, Kei Nishikori, in a three-set thriller at the Proton Malaysian Open 2012 on Saturday. He notched up a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4) victory against the 22-year-old to book a spot in the final round
at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 Series event taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Seeded second in this event, Monaco showed top class tennis to outrun the Japanese star in their third encounter. After stealing the limelight in two hours and 42 minutes, the Argentine took lead in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head
2 Head Series by 2-1 against Nishikori and secured a place in the final round at this indoor hard court event.
The 28-year-old made quick in-roads at the Putra Indoor Stadium. He drew the first blood in the opening game and took the initial lead. He smoothly plucked his entire serves with poise and capitalised on another break chance in the seventh game to click
the opener with a 6-2 win. He took almost three quarters of an hour to inch towards the glory.
Ranked 17th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Nishikori made a fitting reply in the following set. He superbly warded off a breakpoint in the opening game and held his serve. The Japanese held his composure and got the coveted
break in the fourth game. Apart from losing his edge in the very next game, Nishikori reeled off last three games and pocketed the equaliser by winning six games to two.
Monaco carried his drastic ways towards the final set. He endured the initial blow in the fourth game and fell at 1-4. However, the Argentine remained focused and snatched his break back in the ninth game. The set went to a tie-breaker where the Argentine
showed his class and clinched the decider with a 7-6(4) score line.
Next up for Monaco is the conqueror of the match between top seeded David Ferrer and the French star, Julien Benneteau. The seventh seed downed Colombia’s Alejandro Falla in straight sets to progress.
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