Rune saves match point to overcome Nishikori in Tokyo

Denmark’s Holger Rune, the No 6 seed, saved a match point as he came from 5-3 down in the deciding set to oust local hero Kei Nishikori and advance to the final of the Japan Open on Sunday.

Nishikori had a match point in the ninth game on Rune’s serve before the Dane fought back to win the last four games and clinch a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory.

The win sets up a semi-final showdown against either Frenchman Arthur Fils or American Ben Shelton, the No 8 seed. This will be his sixth semi-final on the tour in 2024 (one of only five players to achieve that) and he is still looking for his first title of the season.

Rune also becomes the second Dane to make the semi-finals in Tokyo, following in the footsteps of his coach Kenneth Carlsen who did the same in 2002 and went on to win the title.

In the previous rounds, the 21-year-old Dane edged out Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (6-2, 5-7, 6-4) and beat Japanese wildcard Yoshihito Nishioka (6-2, 6-4).

Nishikori, ranked No 200 and a four-time semi-finalist in Tokyo, won against Croat Marin Cilic (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) and Australian Jordan Thompson (6-2, 6-3) earlier in the week.

Tokyo ATP 500, other last quarter-final results (Ariake Colosseum, hard, USD 1,818,380):

• Ugo Humbert beat Jack Draper: 7-5, 2-1 ret.
• Tomas Machac beat Alex Michelsen (Q): 7-6 (2), 6-3
• Arthur Fils vs. Ben Shelton

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