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Rediff.com  » Sports » ATP Tour Finals: Nishikori thrashes wayward Wawrinka

ATP Tour Finals: Nishikori thrashes wayward Wawrinka

November 14, 2016 21:57 IST
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Japan's Kei Nishikori plays a forehand during the men's singles match against Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka on day two of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London on Monday

IMAGE: Japan's Kei Nishikori plays a forehand during the men's singles match against Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka on day two of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London on Monday. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Japan's Kei Nishikori dispatched error-strewn Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in a disappointingly one-sided clash at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday.

What had promised to be a standout tussle between the world's third and fifth-ranked players failed to deliver as Nishikori won the group opener in little more than an hour in front of a subdued O2 Arena crowd.

From the opening game when Wawrinka had to save two break points the 31-year-old struggled and Nishikori duly got the first break in the fifth game with a punishing forehand.

Nishikori was ruthlessly efficient and quickly polished off the first set aided by a second break when US Open champion Wawrinka double-faulted to end a woeful service game.

Stan Wawrinka drops his racquet in frustration during his match against Kei Nishikori

IMAGE: Stan Wawrinka drops his racquet in frustration during his match against Kei Nishikori. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Wawrinka tried to pump himself up at the start of the second set, delivering a couple of signature backhands, but he was still struggling to locate his A-game.

The crowd, far from a sell-out, wanted more for their money but a miscued Wawrinka forehand into the net gave Nishikori a break point in the fifth game which he converted when Wawrinka elected to leave a return that floated in.

Nishikori, who could still finish the year at a career-high third in the ATP rankings, claimed some revenge for this year's US Open semi-final loss when he broke again to end the contest after Wawrinka wafted a lazy backhand over the baseline.

Home favourite and new world number one Andy Murray takes on Marin Cilic later on Monday in the same John McEnroe group.

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Source: REUTERS
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