Sign in

Kei Nishikori needs 5 sets again in French Open win

The former U.S. Open finalist rallied past 23rd-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 after having also gone the distance to beat Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi in the first round.

Published on: Jun 2, 2021, 21:49:51 IST
AP
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Kei Nishikori needed five sets again to win at the French Open.

Japan's Kei Nishikori in action during his second round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov (REUTERS)
Japan's Kei Nishikori in action during his second round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov (REUTERS)

The former U.S. Open finalist rallied past 23rd-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 after having also gone the distance to beat Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi in the first round.

Nishikori next faces Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen, who upset 11th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his first victory against a top-20 player.

Khachanov was treated by a trainer in the fifth set after cutting his right middle finger by hitting his racket strings out of anger.

Williams-Gauff partnership

The new doubles partnership of Venus Williams and Coco Gauff didn’t go very far at the French Open.

The 40-year-old Williams and 17-year-old Gauff lost to 13th-seeded Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.

It marked the first time that Williams had played a Grand Slam doubles match with anyone but her sister. She and Serena Williams have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.