The Bay Area's Sam Querrey got his AEGON Championships title defense off to a good start, beating the Japanese Kei Nishikori in straight sets. Querrey won the title in 2010 and is looking to get his 2011 season back on track with a repeat at the Queen's Club. He had previously lost to Nishikori in their only other meeting, but was the significant favorite coming into this match, and with good reason. His serve was just too good, his first ace jumping beyond 130 miles per hour, and Nishikori was simply outmatched. Querrey won the match 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the next round, and will take on either Bobby Reynolds or Rainer Schuettler.
After the jump: the notes I took during the match, which I'm including unedited for general play-by-play purposes so they don't go to waste.Querrey starts out with a serve on the high side of 130 MPH, and takes the first game at 40-love. Querrey then falls behind 0-30 on Nishikori's service game, but he fights back to deuce, gets advantage, and then gets the break without much issue. Nishikori though, to his credit, comes back with three break-back points at 40-0, but Querrey fights back to deuce. In the end, Querrey had to fight off seven break points, but eventually holds with the help of his big serve and leads 3-0. Nishikori, to his credit, holds serve to get on the board without much issue at all. Querrey's serve is unshakable in the fifth game and he holds. If you blinked at the time, you missed Nishikori's next service game, because he held as well. Nishikori got the next game to 30-all, but Querrey moves to within a game of taking the opening set by holding serve. He doesn't threaten much of a break at all, and Nishikori holds, leaving Querrey to serve for the set. And he does, almost easily. That's a 6-3 first set for Querrey.
Nishikori with a beautiful, subtle dropshot in the opening of the second set to make it 30-30. He then goes on to hold serve, bringing Querrey up. Nishikori plays a shot at the net beautifully, just hitting the edge and making Querrey scramble for it. Querrey gets his racket under it and it flies into the air and everyone expects it to go out ... but it doesn't. Lands right in and it's a beautiful point. Querrey goes on to hold serve for that game. Querrey threatens a break point on Nishikori's second service game, but he can't execute and Nishikori holds. Querrey then returns the favor by holding without issue. Querrey is challenging Nishikori's serve every time, while holding his own serve with almost no issue. With Nishikori serving at 4-4, Querrey has a double break point at 40-15 and converts it with the help of a poor, poor volley from Nishikori. Querrey is now serving for the match. Querrey has three match points at 40-love, and converts on his second attempt, taking the second set and the match.