Up until the midway point of the second set of his fourth-round match with Ernests Gulbis, it appeared Manic Monday was going to get the best of Kei Nishikori once again.
Having fallen twice previously on the day of Wimbledon's annual tennis smorgasbord — where all 32 players left in the men's and women's draws are in action after Sunday's traditional day off — Nishikori found himself down a set and reeling in the second. Battling through an elbow injury, Nishikori slowly worked his way into form and took a pair of tiebreakers before cruising in the fourth and final set.
At 28, Nishikori now finds himself in his first Wimbledon quarterfinal, up against a familiar foe in Novak Djokovic, and in the midst of a pivotal period of his career.