Kei Nishikori hits a return to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Moselle Open quarterfinals on Friday in Metz, France. Nishikori won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. | KYODO

More Sports / Tennis

Kei Nishikori reaches Moselle Open semifinals

KYODO

METZ, FRANCE - Kei Nishikori set himself up for a semifinal clash with qualifier Matthias Bachinger of Germany after a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 quarterfinal victory at the Moselle Open on Friday.

The top-seeded Nishikori easily won the first set but had to fight through the next two against fifth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, who in July won his maiden title at the German Championships in Hamburg, to complete the match in 2 hours and 6 minutes.

“The first set was perfect, I couldn’t have played better,” Nishikori said.

LATEST MORE SPORTS STORIES

Kei Nishikori competes during his match against Quentin Halys during the first round of the French Open on Sunday in Paris. Nishikori won 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Kei Nishikori breezes into second round of French Open: Kei Nishikori weathered a third-set rally from France's Quentin Halys on Sunday to reach the second round of the French Open for the fifth year in a row. The seventh-seeded Nishikori def...

Takuma Sato (center) stands with his team during a moment of silence prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Takuma Sato finishes third at Indy 500: Takuma Sato took advantage of a late-race crash to move into contention at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, scything into third place to finish in the top three for the second time in three years...

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr smiles during a 2011 NFL football news conference in Dallas. Starr, the Green Bay Packers quarterback and catalyst of Vince Lombardi's powerhouse teams of the 1960s, has died. He was 85.

Legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr, MVP of first two Super Bowls, dies at 85: Bart Starr was an ordinary quarterback until teaming with Vince Lombardi on the powerhouse Green Bay Packers teams that ruled the 1960s and ushered in the NFL as America's most popular sport.