Roger Federer holds off Kei Nishikori to reach Australian Open quarter-finals
Swiss keeps alive bid for 18th grand slam title with five-set victory over Japanese world number five in Melbourne
A resilient Roger Federer showed there was life in the 35-year-old’s legs as he overhauled fifth seed Kei Nishikori 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to book a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
After six months out of the game, Federer’s fairytale return continued under the lights of Rod Laver Arena where he emphatically quashed doubts about his fitness in three hours and 24 minutes of high-octane tennis.
Having stormed into the match after a 90-minute demolition of Tomas Berdych, Federer showed his appetite for a grind, going toe-to-toe with the fleet-footed Japanese in a match of marathon points.
“He played a great match... it was a joy to be a part of,” 17th seed Federer said after sealing the contest with a huge smash down the line. “This is an important win for me in my career. I know he’s got a great five-set record and he’s a tough customer.”
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Federer will play Mischa Zverev for a place in the semi-finals, the German having earlier upset top seed Andy Murray on the same centre court.