After an epic five-setter at the U.S. Open, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori are all set for a rematch at the 2015 Australian Open quarterfinal.
Can Nishikori end defending champion Wawrinka’s bid for back-to-back Australian Open titles? Or will the Swiss exact revenge for his U.S. Open loss? Read on as we breakdown this exciting clash between two of the top players in men’s singles tennis.
Want to find out how this particular bracket turns out? Check out our complete preview for the Djokovic vs. Raonic quarterfinal game.
Last year’s Australian Open champion, Stan Wawrinka, is making a deep run in defense of his title. He made it back to the quarterfinals with a 7-6(2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(8) win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday.
[sc:Other240banner ]The win wasn’t too comfortable for the Swiss, especially on the receiving end. He had to save four set points in the last tie-break, as he trailed 6-2. Wawrinka won 37 percent of receiving points in that match. It was also his receiving game which plagued him in his upset loss to Kei Nishikori at the 2014 U.S. Open. He won 2-of-10 break point opportunities and won just 33 percent of receiving points.
Still, Wawrinka can enjoy some success with his serve. His fastest serve against Garcia-Lopez registered at 139 MPH, which ranked ninth in the whole tournament. He has also won 79 percent of first serve points, third among players who’ve played in four matches. In his last meeting against Nishikori, Wawrinka won 84 percent of first serve points.
Japan’s No. 1 is in for a deep Australian Open run. Kei Nishikori entered the quarterfinals of the tournament by handily defeating No. 9 David Ferrer in straight sets on Sunday. He’ll have a chance to enter the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in his career when he meets defending champion Stan Wawrinka next.
Nishikori has the tools to counter Wawrinka’s service game. He has won 44 percent of receiving points in his Australian Open run and has won 47 percent of break point opportunities.
The Japanese is also adept on serve, having won 72 percent of first serve points. It is in the service game that Nishikori will have success against Wawrinka. He won 76 percent of first serve points against the Swiss in his five-set win at the 2014 U.S. Open.
Still, Nishikori’s bread and butter is baiting his opponents into long, extended rallies. He produced 35 winners in rallies against another excellent return player in Ferrer in the fourth round. Ferrer only had 12 for the entire match.
Wawrinka committed 70 of his 78 unforced errors against Nishikori in rallies at their U.S. Open match, something Nishikori will look to capitalize on again.
