Kei Nishikori overcame Canadian Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 7-6, 3-6, 1-6, 6-4 in 4 hours and 22 minutes to advance to the second round of the French Open in Paris on Sunday.
In a showdown that went the distance, the Japanese veteran’s precise groundstrokes and big match experience lifted him past the 22-year-old from Montreal.
The win marks the first for Nishikori since August of last season; he struck 45 winners and broke serve six times in the closely contested match.
However, it was initially the Canadian who was imposing his game in the early stages of the first-round encounter.
Diallo earned the first break of serve in the match, taking a 4-1 opening set lead as he kept his Japanese competitor off balance with heavy groundstrokes and his potent serve.
Trailing 5-2 in the first, Nishikori dug in and began his comeback. He broke Diallo to get within a game and then saved a pair of set points before holding serve for 5-all.
Another loose service game from the Montreal native proved costly as the 34-year-old from Japan sealed the opener 7-5 in 61 minutes.
The second set featured the players opening with consecutive breaks of serve before getting on even terms.
At the business end of the second, Nishikori staved off a set point chance held by the Canadian before holding serve for 5-all.
The Japanese former world number four then gained the upper hand in a tiebreak, winning the first four points en route to a 7-6(3) second set in 71 minutes.
Facing a daunting two sets to love deficit, a turn of momentum came midway through the third for the Montrealer.
With Diallo staring down two break points at 2-3, 15-40, the Montreal native locked in for a crucial hold of serve, escaping the pivotal game.
With his newfound confidence, the 22-year-old elevated his play, reeling off four consecutive games to capture the set in 39 minutes.
The run of pressure and high-level tennis carried over into the fourth, as the Montrealer controlled play with his booming serve and steady groundstrokes.
Applying more aggression from the baseline, he broke twice, coasting to a 6-1 score-line in just 39 minutes and tying the match at two sets all.
Nishikori took a medical timeout ahead of the fifth set, and it paid dividends as he regained his consistency.
The three-time French Open quarterfinalist kept the Canadian at bay with his counterpunching skills from the baseline, and savvy net play.
At 5-6, Diallo finally flinched under pressure, misfiring a forehand long to seal the victory for the 34-year-old from Japan.
It was Nishikori’s first appearance at a Grand Slam since the 2021 US Open and 103th career match win at a major.
Meanwhile, it’s Diallo’s first-ever main draw loss at a Grand Slam. He successfully advanced through Roland-Garros qualifying for the first time in his career with three consecutive wins.
