‘It’s always a battle when I play Murray’
Kei Nishikori admitted he couldn’t remember last year’s US Open upset of Andy Murray after booking a quarter-final rematch with the world number one at Roland Garros on Monday. The Japanese star recovered from a dreadful start to beat veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 in the French Open fourth round to reach a seventh Grand Slam quarter-final.
He will take on Murray for a place in the semi-finals, with the Briton prevailing in eight of their 10 previous meetings. But Nishikori famously dumped the 2012 US Open champion out in New York last year after rallying from sets to one down.
“Sorry that I don’t remember much,” Nishikori responded when asked of the confidence he could draw from that five-set victory.
“You know when we play it’s always a battle,” he added. “Yeah, for sure, it’s gonna be a tough one.
“We have been playing so many times. He’s great player. Very smart tennis player. It’s never easy, and I think this week he’s been playing well.”
Verdasco knocked out German ninth seed Alexander Zverev in the first round and looked like claiming another top-10 scalp when he raced through the opening set.
“I couldn’t do anything first set but I tried to play deeper and more aggressive, and little by little I got better today.
Murray, who coasted into the last eight with a straight- sets win over Russia’s Karen Khachanov, knows Nishikori will represent his biggest test so far.
“Kei, you know, obviously lost against him at the US Open. He plays well on the clay. You know, very solid off both wings. Moves well, quick,” said Murray.
30 minutes before the match, I was just chilling. Then stood up and I felt like I had black in my eyes.