PARIS (AP) — A combination of luck and perfect tennis helped Kei Nishikori reach the quarterfinals of the French Open.
The eighth-seeded Nishikori recovered from a nightmare opening set to beat Fernando Verdasco 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 on Monday and progress to his seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal, a record for a Japanese man.
"I couldn't do anything first set but I tried to play a little more heavy and a little more aggressive sometimes, and start working a little bit better," Nishikori said.
"I don't know how I get the second and third. But, yeah, a little bit gained some confidence during second and third. The fourth, I think it was perfect tennis I played."
Nishikori has now had three tough days in a row on court after finishing his rain-delayed third-round match against Hyeon Chung on Sunday.
That match lasted nearly four hours and also saw Nishikori drop a set to love.