LONDON — Kei Nishikori shook off an opening day drubbing by Novak Djokovic to beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in the best match yet at the ATP World Tour Finals Tuesday.
The Japanese world No. 8 looked in trouble when he faced a break point at 3-3 in the deciding set but he finished fast to register his first win in Stan Smith Group.
"I got a bit lucky in the last couple of games but I worked really hard today," the 25-year-old, who reached the semifinals on his debut at the tournament last season, said on court. A match full of powerful baseline rallies ebbed and flowed.
World No. 6 Berdych, who was beaten by Roger Federer in his opening match, squandered a great chance in the first set when Nishikori was serving at 4-5 15-30, missing a wide-open court with a backhand at the end of brilliant rally.
It proved costly as Berdych dropped serve in the next game and Nishikori clinched the set on serve with a pinpoint forehand winner past the wrong-footed Czech.
Nishikori went 2-0 ahead in the second set but Berdych reeled off five games in a row with some thunderous winners to turn the match around and send it toward a deciding set — the first so far in the singles this year at the O2 Arena.
An engrossing third set reached a crucial juncture at 3-3 when a lucky net cord gave Berdych a break point, but Nishikori showed great defensive skills to fend off a big attack from his Czech opponent and kept his nose ahead at 4-3.
Two forehand errors from the Berdych racket allowed Nishikori to move 5-3 ahead and the Japanese player secured victory with a love hold.
Defending champion Djokovic will qualify for the semifinals with a match to spare if he beats Roger Federer later Tuesday while Federer will progress if he wins in straight sets.
On Monday, Rafa Nadal's late-season resurgence continued at the ATP World Tour Finals when he beat wayward French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2 to open his account Monday.
The Spaniard took advantage of an error-strewn Wawrinka display to move level with Andy Murray at the top of Ilie Nastase Group.
India's Rohan Bopanna and his doubles partner Florin Mergea booked their place in the World Tour Finals last four Tuesday with a straight sets win.
The eighth-ranked side beat home favorite Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Australia's John Peers 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), the fourth-ranked pairing, to secure a semifinals spot.
Murray to lead Britain in Davis Cup final
Andy Murray heads the five-man team British team for next week's Davis Cup final against Belgium.
Murray is joined by brother Jamie, James Ward, Kyle Edmund and Dominic Inglot in an unchanged side to the team that beat Australia in the semifinals.
David Goffin will, meanwhile, lead Belgium's bid for a first ever Davis Cup title after captain Johan van Herck selected a four-man team.
World No. 16 Goffin will be joined by Steve Darcis, ranked 85, Ruben Bemelmans and Kimmer Coppejans.
Belgium has not been in the final since 1904 when it lost to Britain. The final will take place on a claycourt at the Flanders Expo, starting on Nov. 27.
