Sakamoto downs Nishikori in US Open qualifying final

Rei Sakamoto came through an all-Japanese US Open qualifying final, beating Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-6 to reach the main draw. The serve was the difference: Sakamoto struck 18 aces against just one double fault, landing 61.7% of his first deliveries and winning 83.8% of those points, plus a healthy 56.5% behind the second ball. Nishikori, by contrast, hit no aces and four double faults, put only 58.0% of first serves in and won 62.7% of them, with just 45.9% on second serve. That margin kept the second set on Sakamoto's terms until the tiebreak settled it.