Nishikori on cloud nine after Federer win

Japan 20th seed books place with Djokovic in Miami semi-final.

MIAMI: Kei Nishikori celebrated reaching his second Masters semi-final as he sent fifth seed Roger Federer crashing out of the ATP Tour's Miami Masters tournament in the last-eight round on Wednesday.

Federer lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Japanese 20th seed Nishikori who booked a semi-final showdown with former world number one Novak Djokovic who defeated defending champion Andy Murray 7-5, 6-3.

"Kei did well to stay with me and not allow me to hold my serve," said Federer. "He was more consistent in the second and third set and those are the ones he won. At the end it's his credit."



Nishikori reached his second Masters semi and first in two-and-a-half years by winning the two-hour, nine-minute match.

"I thought I really played well, especially in the third," said Nishikori. "I was hitting both deep and striking well. Everything was going well.

"There was couple of tough moments, but I was fighting through and happy to win today."

Nishikori next faces Djokovic, who is going for back-to-back Masters titles after his triumph at Indian Wells.

The 26-year-old Serbian Djokovic recovered from an early break in the second set to notch the victory in one hour and 29 minutes.

It was the first meeting between the two since Murray defeated Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

"I tried to move him around, change the pace of the ball, mix it up with the slice, with different depth, angles and just stay tough out there," said Djokovic. The second seeded Djokovic also won this title in 2011 and 2007. He was runner-up in 2009.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2014.

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