Japan’s tennis player Kei Nishikori returns the ball to Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq during their Argentina Open semifinal singles match at the Lawn Tennis Club in Buenos Aires on February 18, 2017. PHOTO: Alejandro PAGNI / AFP
Japanese top seed Kei Nishikori reached his second final of 2017 with a gruelling 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq at the Buenos Aires clay court tournament.
World number five Nishikori needed two hours 45 minutes to see off wild card Berlocq, the 34-year-old world number 77 to set-up a Sunday title showdown against Ukraine’s Aleksandr Dolgopolov who beat Spanish fourth seed Pablo Carreno-Busta 7-5, 6-2.
Nishikori made the final on hard court in Brisbane in January but was beaten by Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in three sets.
