The final top-three seed at the Atlanta Open was eliminated last night as Yoshihito Nishioka defeated Francis Tiafoe 7(6)-6(2), 6-4. The match started late but wrapped up relatively quickly after Nishioka won the first set as Tiafoe struggled to find his game.
The first set was mostly even, ending in a tiebreak with neither man appearing to have an edge despite Tiafoe serving 70% on first serves. But in the tiebreak, Nishioka dominated, acing Tiafoe and scoring six points in a row. Tiafoe attempted a comeback, but Nishioka ultimately won the tiebreak 6-2.
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“I knew he has great service. … I think it was, like 80 or 70% first serve, so I couldn’t do anything on service game,” Nishioka laughed after the match. “But even my service game, also it was great too, which is unusual for me, so I think it was too great for my side. I knew it’s coming, it’s going to be a tiebreak. Then I was ready for this.”
Tiafoe couldn’t recover after the first set. Nishioka broke his serve on just the second game of the second set and again on the final game. Nishioka won fairly easily with few long games in the second and Tiafoe only winning two of the eight games.
For Nishioka, it’s also his first semifinal this year. He’s struggled to find his footing on his normally familiar US courts. This win was a reinvigoration for him and possibly an inflection point for his season.
“Beginning of the year, I had a little bit tough time and also my favorite season, beginning of the US season like Miami, Indian Wells also those tournaments I had a tough time also,” Nishioka said. “ I think I [am] coming back on my favorite US season hard court.”
Nishioka advances to play Arthur Rinderknech in the semifinals.
