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Japanese teenager Nishikori advances without firing a shot

Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori dismissed his own illness worries to advance into the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open without firing a shot on Friday, while top seed David Nalbandian was barely tested with a quick victory in just over an hour.

Nishikori moved through when his scheduled opponent Mario Ancic, the second seed, withdrew with fever before their match as ill-health continues to compromise the Croatian’s career. Top-seeded Nalbandian earned his third ATP victory over Spain’s Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-4 with minimal effort to set up a semi-final with Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

“I played well, really well,” the Argentine said. “It will be a tough match against Jarkko. He’s a lefty, but if I play like I have this week I have a good chance.”

Nieminen, who polished his tennis in Stockholm early in his career, continued his quest to try to go one better after losing two finals with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Spaniard Oscar Hernandez.

Nishikori said that he had considered retiring himself before the match after carrying a cold, sore throat and knee pain all week.

He will now face Swedish fourth seed Robin Soderling, who defeated German No. 5 Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 7-5 for a place in the final.

Ancic, who missed six months of play last year with a serious case of glandular fever and was out for much of the summer with a relapse, was unable to take to the court.

The Croatian was struck down by fever and bronchitis to hand the 18-year-old Nishikori a first semi-final since Delray Beach in Florida last February.

Nishikori, ranked 77th, is fast-tracking up the ATP rankings and is the first serious contender from his country since Top 50 Shuzo Matsuoka a decade-and-a-half ago.

Nishikori, who has lived for the past four years at the Nick Bollettieri academy in Florida, won his first career title in Delray when he beat world No. 12 James Blake in the final.

Nalbandian easily dominated Montanes, the world No. 46 who won a clay title in Amsterdam this season, breaking once in the first set and twice in the second.

Nieminen, broke Hernandez five times in just under 90 minutes on his way to victory.
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