‘Resilient’ Kei reaches last 4

GENEVA, May 25, (RTRS): Second-seed Kei Nishikori saved three consecutive match points in the final set to beat South African Kevin Anderson 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the quarterfinals at the Geneva Open on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Japanese managed an impressive recovery to hold his serve after trailing 0-40 in the 10th game of the third set. He needed a tie-breaker to claim the win and set up a semi-final clash with Mischa Zverev on Friday.

Nishikori, who accepted a late wild card into the ATP World Tour 250 event, is looking to get his clay-court season going ahead of the French Open after a thirdround exit in Rome last week. A wrist injury kept him out of Barcelona and forced him to withdraw from Madrid quarter-finals earlier this month.

In Thursday’s other quarter-final, Zverev eased past fifth-seed Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-5 in a match that lasted an hour and 34 minutes.

Andy Murray’s wretched form ahead of the next week’s French Open has left pundits including Boris Becker scratching their heads about what exactly is wrong with the world number one.