Nishikori and Anderson set for Vienna tussle

Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson will battle in Vienna on Sunday with two targets in mind.

Published : Oct 28, 2018 00:22 IST

Japan's Kei Nishikori
Japan's Kei Nishikori
lightbox-info

Japan's Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori edged closer to his first tournament win in two years - and a place in the ATP Finals - after beating Mikhail Kukushkin at the Vienna Open on Saturday.

The Japanese star triumphed 6-4 6-3 to improve his record against the Kazakh to 8-0.

Should he beat Kevin Anderson in Sunday's final it would be his first trophy success since Memphis in 2016 while it would also move him within 125 points of eighth spot in the race to London.

Kukushkin battled hard in the Austrian capital, but was broken when serving to stay in the first set and Nishikori maintained the momentum by breaking again at the start of the second.

The second semifinal was a much closer affair with Anderson edging out Fernando Verdasco 6-3 3-6 6-4.

The South African will also have London on his mind as he chases his second ATP crown of the year. With a win he will become the sixth man to secure his place at the O2.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment