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Japan's Kei Nishikori surged to a three-set victory over alternate David Ferrer at the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday before sitting back to watch his fate unfold in the night match.
The 24-year-old lost the opening set to the gritty Spaniard, a late stand-in for injured Milos Raonic, but played beautifully after that to seal a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win -- his second in Group B after also beating Andy Murray.
Whether or not it would be enough to book a semi-final berth would only become clear once six-times champion Roger Federer took on home favourite Murray in the final Group B match.
Should Murray win in straight sets he would top the group and send Nishikori out, but any other result would send Federer through as group winner with Nishikori runner-up.
‘I didn't know Milos was injured’
Nishikori found out shortly before walking on court that Ferrer would be on the other side of the net, not the big-serving Raonic who suffered a small tear in his thigh while losing to Murray on Tuesday, and it took him time to adapt.
"I was surprised little bit because I didn't know Milos was injured," Nishikori said. "I wasn't expecting David. But we've played a lot of times. We know how each other play."
"The final set (was) almost perfect," added Nishikori who leads the ATP Tour stats in winning decisive sets with 21-2 record.
Trailblazer for Asian tennis
Near sell-out crowds at the O2 Arena had not witnessed a three-setter before Thursday's action but when Ferrer stepped in for a cameo role the likelihood was that he would provide a toe-to-toe battle.
Ferrer, beaten in nearly three hours by Nishikori in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters, a result that scuppered his hopes of qualifying for the year-ender by right, hit back from a break down to snatch a high-quality opening set.
From then on, however, U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori showed why he has become a trailblazer for Asian tennis, unleashing his full repertoire of fiercely struck groundstrokes and silky drop shots to run Ferrer into the ground.
After converting his first set point in the second set with a backhand winner, Nishikori raced ahead in the decider against a tiring opponent who will return home around $85,000 richer for his brief appearance in London.
‘I think the key this year for Kei is his fitness’
Ferrer, who had been hanging around all week in case of a drop-out, revealed he had been struggling with a back injury.
"I would like to rest because I had some problems this year in my back," he said.
"I think the key this year for Kei is his fitness. He's playing with a very good level for a very long time."
Earlier doubles second seeds Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) beat Spaniards Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in a deciding set tiebreak but it was not enough to keep them afloat in the tournament after two losses.
