Nishikori Fends Off NextGen Challenge

Kei Nishikori is through to the US Open third round after withstanding a serving barrage from #NextGen player Karen Khachanov on Thursday. The Japanese No. 6 seed had never met the 20-year-old Russian before and needed all his guile to hold off his opponent’s all-court game in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Nishikori’s six aces paled in comparison to the Russian’s 20 and while his 35 winners were five fewer, his consistency in the key moments shone. The 2014 runner-up’s 36 unforced errors were 13 less.

A runner-up at the Rogers Cup in Toronto leading in, Nishikori closed the match out with an ace at the two-hour, 36-minute mark to set up a showdown with French veteran Nicolas Mahut, a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 winner over countryman Paul-Henri Mathieu. He returns to the third round at Flushing Meadows for the first time since his run to the final in 2014.