Nishikori Snatches Opener Vs. Djokovic In Rome

Kei Nishikori has raced to a 6-2 lead against top seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Japanese capitalised on both break points earned and struck 10 winners.

How do you beat Djokovic? Taking away his movement goes a long way. The Serb, who received a medical timeout for a cut on his left ankle after the first game, was on the back foot from the start. Nishikori turned in an exhibition in agility, taking the initiative from the back of the court and tracking down everything Djokovic fired his way. Taking advantage of the World No. 1’s compromised movement, the Japanese provided a heavy dose of drop shots. A forehand drop shot winner would give him a break for 2-1 and a rifled backhand down-the-line saw him secure a double break for 5-2. He closed out the set after 43 minutes.

One week removed from a semi-final encounter on the clay of Madrid, won by Djokovic, Nishikori snapped the Serb’s streak of 10 consecutive sets won in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. The sixth seed is bidding to reach a third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final and second this year, having fallen to Djokovic in the Miami title match in March.

Four-time Rome champion Djokovic, meanwhile, is eyeing a 42nd final at the Masters 1000 level. He took sole possession of the all-time title lead with a 29th crown in Madrid.