Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori advanced to the semi-finals at ATP Challenger Tour events on Friday. Murray passed a stern test from #NextGenATP Swiss Dominic Stricker to advance in Nottingham while former World No. 4 Nishikori cruised in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico.
The Scot Murray is yet to drop a set this week after defeating Stricker 7-6(2), 7-5 in the Rothesay Open quarter-finals. Murray lost just one point behind his first serve in the opening set to gain an advantage on the 20-year-old. Despite trailing 1-3 in the second set, Murray fought back and earned a decisive break in the 11th game before closing out the match in one hour, 48 minutes.
“Really, really tight match today against one of the best young players in the world,” Murray said in his on-court interview. “He has a really good game, huge shots from the back of the court but also really nice touch up at the net.
“I thought in the first-set tie-break I played really well, came up with some really good passing shots to get me that tie-break. In the second set, I think when I broke back immediately when he went 3-1 up, I think it gave me the momentum back and I felt like I was creating a lot of chances. That’s the best I’ve played across the last two weeks in terms of how I hit the ball and that was really positive.”
The three-time major champion has won 13 of his past 14 Challenger-level matches, including title runs in Aix-en-Provence and last week in Surbiton. The 36-year-old will next face Nuno Borges, who cruised past Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 6-4. Borges earned his biggest career title earlier this season, when he triumphed at the premiere Challenger 175 event in Phoenix.
In other Nottingham action, French qualifier Arthur Cazaux advanced to the semi-finals after ousting Gabriel Diallo 7-6(2), 7-5 and Dominik Koepfer moved past wild card George Loffhagen 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
At the Caribbean Open in Puerto Rico, 12-time tour-level titlist Nishikori is enjoying a strong return to competition in his first tournament since the BNP Paribas Open in October 2021. The Japanese star defeated Australian Adam Walton 6-4, 6-2 after producing consistency from the baseline throughout the one-hour, 23-minute contest, where Nishikori struck several vintage down-the-line winners and demonstrated his craftiness around the court to advance.
The 33-year-old Nishikori, who underwent arthroscopic left hip surgery last year, will meet Brazilian Gustavo Heide in the last four on Saturday. Kazakh Beibit Zhukayev and American qualifier Michael Zheng also advanced to the semi-finals in Palmas del Mar.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
