Kei Nishikori trounces Marcos Baghdatis for final showdown – Rakuten Open 2012
Eighth seed, Kei Nishikori from Japan, tumbled the Cypriot number one, Marcos Baghdatis, in straight sets at the Rakuten Open 2012 on Saturday. He nudged up a 6-2, 6-2 victory against the unseeded Cypriot to power into the title-round at this ATP (Association
of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series event held in Tokyo, Japan.
The Asian number one, Nishikori showed flawless tennis to crush Baghdatis for the first time in their fourth encounter. After recording the victory in almost one hour, the Japanese not only lowered trail in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head Series by 1-3 against
the 27-year-old but also booked a spot in the final round at this outdoor hard court event.
“It’s an incredible feeling because I’m in a final in my home country,” Nishikori was quoted in an interview to RakutenOpen.com. “I didn’t think I would be in the final, so I’m very happy. I haven’t won a tournament in four years so hopefully I can win tomorrow.”
The local number one, Nishikori made a powerful entry at the Ariake Coliseum. He drew the first blood in the third game and cruised to a 3-1 lead. After Baghdatis held his serve in the fifth game, the Japanese star bagged the last three games and eventually
sealed the opener with a 6-2 win.
Ranked 17th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Nishikori maintained his intensity in the following set. He reeled off four games in a row before the world number 46 could hold on again. The Japanese swiped his remaining serves
with poise and pulled out the set with a 6-2 score line.
The 22-year-old swiped his entire serves without facing any trouble. He also spilled fewer errors and fired two aces to prevail. Nishikori produced a better first serve share of 65 per cent as compared to his rival’s 50 per cent and impressively marked 21
out of 28 points on it. He ended the match with 55 points as opposed to the Cypriot’s 36 which made the difference.
Nishikori will lock horns with the Canadian number one, Milos Raonic, who stunned top seeded Andy Murray in a three-set thriller to set up this encounter.
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