UPDATE 6.40pm: Milos Raonic has thumped 34 aces past Japan’s Kei Nishikori to book a place in his first Brisbane International final after a 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 7-6(4) result over the No.2 seed.
The world No.8 held his nerve in a 151-minute match, which didn’t feature a single break of serve.
Raonic entered the match leading the tournament with 32 aces from his two prior matches and added a whopping 34 to his tally in this match.
It’s the second time Raonic has beaten Nishikori in six meetings between the pair, with the Japanese world No.5 defeated in Brisbane at the semifinal stage for the third straight year.
“ I felt I served really well. That’s held me around, especially in the beginning, because I felt he was getting more and more on top of me at the beginning from the baseline,” Raonic said.
“That sort of kept me in it and sort of gave me a chance, and then I was able to create some opportunities in the beginning of the second.”
Nishikori, last year’s US Open finalist, bowed out having not dropped a service game in the tournament and admitted he became frustrated as the match progressed.
“It’s always hard to play someone like him because there is not much rallies… not really (much) I could do,” he said.
“It’s really frustrating, but it’s sometimes people like this, you know. It happens.
“I’ve been playing really well this week, so hopefully I can have good preparation in Kooyong and hopefully I do well in Australian Open.”
In the longest match of the tournament to date, Nishikori twice had break point opportunities in the first set but could not convert as Raonic used his booming serve to bail him out of trouble.
There was no way out for the Canadian in the tiebreak however, Nishikori making no mistake when he got the mini-break to wrap up the set in 49 minutes.
The pair again couldn’t be separated in the second set, with Raonic failing to convert three break points. Another tiebreak ensued but Nishikori was the one who blinked this time, double-faulting on the ninth point.
Raonic took full advantage, blasting the next two points off his serve to level the match.
Nishikori failed to convert another break point in the third set and made a crucial error midway through the final set tiebreak to hand Raonic an advantage he wouldn’t relinquish.
Raonic will now play 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer in Sunday’s decider – he broke through for his first win against the Swiss Maestro in Paris last year.
“(Previously) I would get broken right in my first service game, which is not the way to really go about things, especially against a top player and especially against Roger,” Raonic said.
“So I got to keep that pressure on him and then sort of step up when I can create my opportunities.
“I think that’s a good place to start.”
> Watch match highlights here (only available outside Australia):