Tennis: Sweeting beats Nishikori for clay title

HOUSTON: American wild card Ryan Sweeting captured his first ATP Tour title by beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 at the US Clay Court Championships. Sweeting is the first wild-card winner in this tournament since fellow American Mardy Fish did it five years ago. Nishikori’s late comeback just fell short as the American edged him in a second set tie-breaker. The 10th game of the second set went back and forth as the pair duelled through 26 points. Sweeting eventually held serve when the sixth-seed’s lob sailed long and hit a forehand volley winner in the tiebreaker to get it to match point. He sealed the win when the Japanese’ forehand went wide.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2011.