Holger Rune Comes Back From Brink To Reach Japan Open Semifinals

Denmark's Holger Rune fought back from a match point down to reach the Japan Open semi-finals after beating Kei Nishikori 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday.

Denmark's Holger Rune fought back from a match point down to reach the Japan Open semi-finals after beating Kei Nishikori 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday. Rune, the number six seed, came back from the brink to win four straight games and end the Japanese veteran's challenge in front of a lively crowd in Tokyo. "It was about getting that first serve, and if I could save that match point I knew that I could put on pressure," said Rune, who will play either defending champion Ben Shelton or France's Arthur Fils in the semi-finals. "The momentum shifted a little bit. I lifted myself up, I was more positive." Nishikori, 34, has been plagued by injuries and he returned to Grand Slam competition at the French Open in May after an absence of almost three years.

He has been in inspired form this week in Tokyo and took control of the match early against Rune.

"It was a great week for me -- great three matches with tough opponents," said Nishikori, who reached the US Open final a decade ago and was once ranked number four in the world.

"I would say this was the best week so far. I played very solid, I raised my level."

Rune needed a medical time-out in the third set and he said that "in one moment I thought it was not going to be".