Kei Nishikori overcame a stiff challenge from an emotional Nick Kyrgios to advance to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win yesterday.
After winning the first set in 30 minutes, Kyrgios began to unravel at the end of the second set when he smacked a ball in frustration toward the baseline, causing a line judge to bend to avoid being hit.
The Australian was assessed a code violation and dropped his serve at love, losing the set. Kyrgios then saved three match points in the third set before Nishikori finally closed it out.
Photo: Reuters
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic brushed aside Martin Klizan of Slovakia, winning 6-2, 6-1.
Andy Murray overcame five double faults to defeat Steve Johnson of the US 6-2, 6-4, and Australia’s Bernard Tomic saved eight of nine break points he faced to upset seventh-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic also advanced with a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 win over Jack Sock of the US, while 13th seed John Isner of the US defeated Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), and No. 12 Kevin Anderson beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-3, 7-6 (7/1).
HONG KONG OPEN
Former world No. 1 one Jelena Jankovic breezed through to the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open yesterday in a straight sets victory that took less than an hour.
Ranked fourth in the competition, she beat Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova 6-0, 6-2 and is to meet sixth seed Daria Gavrilova of Russia in the last eight.
Australian Samantha Stosur beat Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig 6-4, 6-4 to secure her quarter-final place.
Stosur is to play Britain’s Heather Watson, who beat Taiwan’s Lee Ya-hsuan in three sets.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is to play her second-round match today, when she takes on Wang Yafan of China, while world No. 9 Angelique Kerber takes on Kurumi Nara.
TIANJIN OPEN
Seventh seed Alison Riske went out of the Tianjin Open in the second round yesterday, leaving only four of the original top eight still in contention at the US$500,000 WTA event.
American Riske was eliminated 6-3, 6-3 by Timea Babos of Hungary, ranked 74th in the world.
Her exit followed first-round departures by top seed and US Open winner Flavia Pennetta, Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina and home favorite Zheng Saisai, seeded eight.
However, Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova, the world No. 15, qualified for the quarter-finals by beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-2, 6-1. Fifth seed Kristina Mladenovic of France, the world No. 27, also went through 6-4, 6-4 against Linette’s compatriot Urszula Radwanska.
New Taipei Kings guard Jeremy Lin on Friday was named the Taiwan Professional Basketball League’s (TPBL) Player of the Month, the first domestic player to win the award, while the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers are to welcome their third head coach in less than a year. Lin averaged 22 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists over five games in October and last month, helping the Kings to second in the standings with a 4-2 record as of Friday. The Kings last night defeated the Lioneers 96-78 to move level with the top-of-the-table Formosa Dreamers (5-2), while in the night game, the New Taipei
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