US Open: Djokovic outplays Nishikori, will meet Del Potro in the final

Serbian sixth seed Novak Djokovic on Friday defeated Japanese Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-4 6-2 to make his way to the final of the US Open where he would be up against Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

Winning 17 break opportunities and coming out victorious in his 80 per cent of his own serve points, Djokovic dominated the match which got him a final berth.

Djokovic, who won the Wimbledon this year broke Nishikori in his very first service game and it took him just 37 minutes to finish off proceedings in the first set.

Nishikori nonetheless showed some life in the second set but Djokovic was too hot to handle on the day. He squandered a lead of two early break points and was pushed to the back-foot with the Serbian claiming a 3-2 lead.

Djokovic had earlier lost to Nishikori four years ago in the same competition. But this time, the script ran along a different storyline as the Serbian came up victorious. The 31-year old now has 15 wins over the Japanese in 17 encounters.

“It felt really good,” said Djokovic, as quoted by The Indian Express.

“Easier said than done – you have to execute the shots against Kei Nishikori, who is one of the quicker movers on the tour,” he added.

The sixth-seeded Djokovic who thus made his eighth final at the event said that it felt good to be back especially after missed the last edition of the competition due to an elbow injury.

“It means the world to me obviously,” he said.

He added further, “Like thousands of other tennis players around the world I’m trying to be the best I can be.”