MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Top-seeded Kei Nishikori opened his big for a fourth straight Memphis Open title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over American Ryan Harrison on Wednesday night.
Nishikori was cruising through the second set up a break at 5-3. Harrison held serve, then broke the Japanese player in the lengthy 10th game. The American saved four match points before Nishikori hit a backhand into the net, giving Harrison his break and tying the set at 5-all.
Nishikori, the world's seventh-ranked player, broke back in the next game and then served out the match to move to the third round, where he'll face Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, who upset fifth-seeded Denis Kudla 6-1, 7-5 earlier Wednesday.