Nishikori topples Karlovic, Konjuh stuns Radwanska in US Open

NEW YORK: Kei Nishikori cut down the towering Ivo Karlovic of Croatia with surgical precision in a straight-sets win on Monday that lifted the sixth-seeded Japanese to the US Open quarter-finals.

Nishikori, the US Open runner-up two years ago, beat Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final main draw singles match at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which will be replaced by a new stadium with a retractable roof for the 2018 tournament.

It was a David and Goliath clash of physical opposites, but the 6-foot-11 (2.11 m) Karlovic’s tennis game, apart from his prodigious serve, was overshadowed by the skills of Nishikori, more than a foot shorter at 5-10 (1.78 m).

The quick-footed Nishikori made 37-year-old Karlovic look like he was standing still, which he often was, as he raced to victory in two hours to earn a berth into the last eight.

“It’s never easy against someone like Ivo, he has a great serve,” Nishikori said about the Croat, who crushed a US Open record 61 aces in his five-set, first-round win over Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan.

“I made a lot of returns of first and second serves and was happy with my return game today.”

Nishikori will play either second seed Andy Murray of Britain or 22nd seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals.

“I’ve been playing well, especially today,” the Japanese said. “I think I played one of (my) best matches so far. So will try to recover well and play (more) good tennis next round.”

Karlovic hammered in 21 aces but when his first serves were not finding the mark, Nishikori pounced.

The Croat led all players with 99 aces.

Nishikori broke Karlovic twice and was credited with 44 winners against only seven unforced errors.

“I was able to get the break, first and second set, early. So that makes me a little more relaxed,” said Nishikori.

“And my serve was much better today. I was able to hit a lot of first serves in,” added the Japanese, who landed 60 percent of them.

He won on his fifth match point, but Nishikori was not fussed - the first four came after he had galloped to a 6-0 lead in the third-set tiebreaker which he won 7-4.

Nishikori, who became the first Asian to reach a grand slam men’s final two years ago in Flushing Meadows, has had a strong season, including a run to the quarters at the Australian Open before falling to eventual winner Novak Djokovic.

He won in Memphis and was runner-up at the ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Barcelona and ATP Masters 1000 Toronto, losing to number one Djokovic in Miami and Toronto and to Rafa Nadal in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh stunned fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-4 on Monday, avenging a bitter Wimbledon disappointment and reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open.

The 18-year-old, who has made it past the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, next faces 10th-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) winner over Venus Williams.

The victory over Radwanska was sweet revenge for Konjuh, who held three match points against the Pole in the second round at Wimbledon but eventually lost 9-7 in the third set after stepping on a ball and turning her ankle.

It was another blow for a player who starred as a junior, winning Australian Open and US Open junior titles in 2013, before she was slowed by elbow surgery in 2014.

“I’m still young. I still need to experience things,” she said. “I think I didn’t have that many matches as I should. It was tough to come back every time. But, you know, here I am in the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam, so I cannot complain.”

Regardless of any lack of experience Konjuh showed plenty of poise on the massive Arthur Ashe stadium court, even when the sound system blared out suddenly as she prepared to serve early in the final game.

She kept her nerve, giving herself a match point with a blistering backhand down the line, and claimed the win with a serve that Radwanska could only smack into the net.

“This time I took opportunities,” she said. “I was just going for it. It was the key of the match.”

For Radwanska it was more US Open heartbreak. It remains the only Grand Slam where she has never reached the quarter-finals.

“Well, she was playing pretty good tennis, serving very well,” said Radwanska, who broke Konjuh in the second game but immediately gave the break back.

Konjuh, who finished with six aces and 38 winners, broke again for a 4-3 lead and never let go.

“I just couldn’t do any more I guess today,” Radwanska said. “I was really trying. I was just too slow today.”

In a tight second set, neither player faced a break point until Konjuh raced ahead to 0-40 in the ninth game, giving herself a chance to serve it out with a backhand volley winner.

“Definitely it was only one break in the beginning, then I was not really close to breaking again,” Radwanska said. “I didn’t serve good enough. I’m not here as a winner.”