Seventh seed Kei Nishikori defeated ninth seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. The Japanese star demonstrated dominant form from the baseline, and benefited from an increasingly frustrated performance from Tsonga, who also went off court in the second set to receive treatment for a back injury.
These two men are two of the most impressive players outside the biggest stars. Kei Nishikori and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kei Nishikori both have legitimate grand slam credentials, as both are former finalists; Tsonga at this event, and Nishikori at the US Open. A shame that they have to meet as early as the fourth round.
Formerly, grand slam matches between Tsonga and Nishikori had never disappointed. Two matches, both five-setters, with the grand slam head-to-head split at one apiece. Tsonga won the most recent match in five sets last year at the French Open, winning the final set after squandering a two set lead. Nishikori earned his win at the Australian Open in 2012. Nishikori does dominate the head-to-head in non-grand slam events.
Tsonga started brightly, holding strongly before earning a glimmer of a chance at thirty-all. Two backhand errors up the line from Tsonga saw Nishikori hold. Nishikori then turned the tables, consistently attacking the Tsonga backhand to earn two break points. Nishikori blasted long on a forehand on the first, and Tsonga returned to deuce when Nishikori could only parry a serve long. Nishikori, though continued to pound the Tsonga backhand, and he used this tactic to then open up the cross-court forehand. Tsonga saved again but a double-fault handed Nishikori a fourth opportunity. Tsonga double-faulted again, and the Japanese star struck first.
Tsonga was again in trouble in his next service game. A third consecutive double-fault going back to when he was broken and a superb return winner from Nishikori saw the Frenchman eventually down fifteen-forty. Nishikori benefited from Tsonga’s erratic play to take a dominating double-break lead in the opener.
Tsonga retrieved one of the breaks with a superb half-volley drop shot, after Nishikori had fired wide with a forehand. Nishikori had held three set points at forty-love in that game. Tsonga held to love to put the pressure back on Nishikori to serve out the set at the second attempt. This Nishikori achieved, holding to love.
The first set was notable for just how much Nishikori was dominating early. Tsonga was playing ground-strokes from three feet behind the baseline at many points. this neutralised his attempts to volley, and Nishikori was using Tsonga’s depth to create excellent angles, especially when attacking the backhand.
Tsonga led forty-love in the first game of set two, but a scorching Nishikori winner and poor Tsonga volleying saw the Frenchman forced to save a break point with an ace. Tsonga held, but was in trouble in his next service game, as a double-fault and pass from Nishikori saw Tsonga forced to defend deuce once more. Instead, he handed another break point with another backhand unforced error, and a forehand miss into the net saw Nishikori lead again.
The theme continued, Nishikori holding and Tsonga unable to keep up, throwing in more double-faults and forehand errors to hand the second set double-break to Nishikori. Tsonga then requested the trainer to treat an apparent back injury.
Tsonga was unable to bring the fight that he had displayed at the end of the first set, instead nearly losing a third break. Nihsikori eventually won the second six-two. Tsonga’s erratic serving meant he was unable to hide behind this normal strength. Tsonga, normally so very aggressive was unable to dictate as Nishikori completely controlled the baseline exchanges.
Nishikori forced pressure again as Tsonga choked up a lame forehand error on another break point. Tsonga engaged in an argument with the umpire over his right to challenge a call, but it had little impact, as Nishikori held to fifteen.
As great as Nishikori was playing, it was increasingly clear that the style and presence often exuded by Tsonga on court seemed strangely absent, perhaps ultimately limited by the quality of his opponent’s play. Tsonga eventually showed some fight, a superb stretching volley, and a ripped forehand winner saw him hold for one-two, though Nishikori still led by a two sets and a break.
Tsonga forced a break point in the next game, only for the seventh seed to find a magnificent forehand winner down the line on break point and then hold. Normal service resumed, as Nishikori did the attacking and forced yet another break opportunity in game seven. Tsonga saved, and held with uncharacteristically strong serving in the context of this match.
Nishikori continued to dominate, selecting winners almost at ease, relieving some light pressure from Tsonga in game seven. Tsonga forced Nishikori to serve out, by producing his best service game of the match, holding to love. Kei Nshikori did not blink though, racing to forty-love and though Tsonga produced a cracking cross-court return winner, the Frenchman blasted long on the third match point. Nishikori is through to the Men’s quarter-finals.
Nishikori awaits a tantalising encounter against World no.1 Novak Djokovic if the Serb can defeat fourteenth seed Gilles Simon of France.
Kei Nishikori “I felt very good against Jo, very happy to go into quarter-finals. I try to think one match at a time. I try to focus on what I have to do.”
On potentially facing Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals: “Its going to be tough Novak is playing amazing again this year.”
Nishikori has a 2-5 record against Djokovic, and they have never previously met at the Australian Open.
Incredibly, Nishikori has never met Gilles Simon. They were due to meet at the 2012 Masters event at Paris-Bercy, but Nishikori withdrew before the match.
