HOUSTON – Japan’s Kei Nishikori advanced to the second final of his career by beating Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-finals of the ATP Tour’s US Clay Court Championships on Saturday. Sixth-seeded Nishikori put away Uruguay’s Cuevas with a forehand winner on the second match point to reach the final, where he will face American wild card Ryan Sweeting.
“I played great today. My serve was not well but otherwise, grinding a lot and it was hot and humid, but I think I battled through,” Nishikori said. The 21-year-old Nishikori broke seventh seeded Cuevas in the fifth and 11th games of the second set before serving for the match.
Nishikori is hoping that a victory in Sunday’s final will help bring awareness to the charities he has set up to help the victims in the wake of his homeland’s earthquake/tsunami disaster.
