Kei Nishikori to face Daniil Medvedev in Brisbane International final
Saturday 5 January 2019 18:08, UK
Kei Nishikori demolished Jeremy Chardy to set up a meeting with Daniil Medvedev in the Brisbane International final on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Japanese star was in superb form as he put on a commanding all-court display against his French opponent to advance to the final for the second time in three years 6-2 6-2.
Nishikori has set his sights on returning to the world's top five after falling to 39 last April due to a wrist injury at the end of 2017 that forced him to take a break from the tour.
Currently ranked No 9, Nishikori said: "Everything was working well today. I felt like I was too fast on the court today - I felt very good.
"Physically and tennis-wise I think it was perfect. I served well, I returned well - I think that was the key today - and I was moving well, that was fantastic."
Nishikori will go into Sunday's final against fourth seeded Russian Medvedev as firm favourite.
Medvedev reached the decider with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 win over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
"I was really nervous and he started amazing," Medvedev said. "I didn't do anything wrong. I managed to come back and had more opportunities."
Japan's Naomi Osaka lamented her poor attitude following a 6-2 6-4 thrashing by Lesia Tsurenko but the US Open winner said defeat came with a valuable lesson.
"If I'm being really frank, I just feel like I had the worst attitude today. I feel like I didn't really know how to cope with not playing well," Osaka said.
"I was sulking a bit and there are moments that I tried not to do that. But then the ball wouldn't go in and then I would go back to being childish. So I think that was my main problem.
"Last year I did a lot of that and I'm trying to change it more, and I think I have, towards the end of last year. So hopefully this isn't a recurring thing."
Tsurenko faces 2017 champion and former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova, who thumped Donna Vekic 6-3 6-4.
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