Andy Murray vs. Kei Nishikori: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympics
Andy Murray became the first man to qualify for the final of the 2016 Summer Olympics men's tennis tournament on Saturday, beating Kei Nishikori in two sets, 6-1, 6-4.
Murray dominated the first set with excellent, aggressive tennis, and while Nishikori rebounded early in the second set, the Japanese star could never match Murray's intensity.
The Scotsman entered the semi-finals with plenty of question marks after he had to dig deep against Steve Johnson in the previous round, but his form seemed just fine early on, as he held serve to start the match.
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Nishikori followed suit, setting up a competitive start to the match. However, Murray soon dominated with his serve and raw power.
Meanwhile, BBC 5 Live's David Law noticed there weren't that may people watching the match, although the crowd started to arrive throughout the first set:
Nishokori looked to be heading for a hold in the fourth game with a fantastic lob and several great groundstrokes. However, Murray battled his way to a first break chance and immediately converted, stealing the momentum.
BBC Sport noted the two were locked in a tight battle:
Murray started to lose focus in the fifth game, however, as he got involved in a lengthy discussion with the umpire, had to wait for a fan to quiet down and made a poor challenge even he seemed to know was futile.
The fans making their way into the stadium also caused some delays, as the players waited to avoid any more distractions, and Murray continued his fine play, as he seemed to regain his composure. He held serve easily and broke Nishikori's serve again in the next game, as the Japanese netted a smash.
Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times noted Nishikori's recent record against the world's best is far from good:
Murray finished off the first set with a hold for love and an ace, needing just 33 minutes to take the advantage.
Nishikori improved to start the second set, but he still had no answers for Murray's serve. The Scotsman was involved in another lengthy discussion with the umpire between the third and fourth game. Per BBC Sport's Piers Newbery, it wasn't fully clear what he said to Carlos Ramos:
Murray grabbed a break in the fifth game, however, as Nishikori completely lost the plot, missing several key shots and all but gifting Murray the game. The 26-year-old immediately changed shoes after the game, an indication something went wrong with his equipment.
The seventh game proved to be a crucial one, as Murray pressed hard for another break, and the two had to battle for every single point. Nishikori barely held his serve, but he desperately needed a break of his own to keep his Olympic dream alive.
He didn't even come close in the next game, however, as Murray moved to within one of a spot in the final, and he finished the job on his own serve two games later.
Murray will play the winner of the match between Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro in the final.
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