Nishikori, Pliskova win Brisbane International titles

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Japan's Kei Nishikori celebrates with the trophy after winning the Brisbane International men's final against Russia's Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in Brisbane, Australia, on Sunday.

Japan's Kei Nishikori overcame Daniil Medvedev in the Brisbane International final on Sunday for his first ATP title in nearly three years and the 12th of his career.


Last year's finalist Nishikori, who prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, won 70 percent of points on his first serve and converted five out of 15 break-point opportunities to snap a nine-match losing streak in finals.


World No. 9 Nishikori started slowly, trailing 0-3 in the opening set but responded in typically determined fashion to win six of the next seven games for an early advantage.


Medvedev saved four break points to take a 3-2 lead in the second set before dragging the match into a decider but his opponent, who lost their previous meeting in last year's Tokyo final, was not to be denied again.


Breaking Medvedev for a 3-1 lead in the third set, Nishikori held firm to seal the match in a little more than two hours for his first trophy since winning in Memphis in February 2016.


Earlier, former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova battled back from a set and a break down to beat Lesia Tsurenko 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 and win the women's title for the second time.


Tsurenko served for the match at 5-3 in the second set but the tall Czech drew on all her experience to overcome her dogged opponent and regain the title she won at the Queensland Tennis Center two years ago.


The Ukrainian took an injury timeout after rolling her ankle while being broken in the first game of the third set and was powerless to prevent the world No. 8 from storming to her 12th career title.


"I think everything was against me today... I felt there is no chance I can win. I felt so far away from playing good tennis tonight," Pliskova, who needed a pep talk from coach Rennae Stubbs to regain composure, said.


"Rennae said 'I am absolutely sure you can win this match,' which gave me some confidence and belief that I can do it.


"I just tried to change the things around a little bit and believed I was going to get a chance... I felt I was getting better with the time."


Victory meant Pliskova joined Belarus star Victoria Azarenka (2009, 2016) and American Serena Williams (2013-14) as the third woman to win the Premier event twice.


In Auckland, New Zealand, Julia Goerges defended her singles title at the WTA Tour's ASB Classic, ending the amazing run of Canadian qualifier Bianca Andreescu 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in Sunday's final.


At first, the 18-year-old Andreesecu, ranked 152, looked likely to continue the form that saw her emerge from the qualifying tournament to beat Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and third-seeded Hsieh Su-wei on the way to her first final.


She took the first set in only 30 minutes, unsettling second-seeded Goerges with the same aggressive return game and mixture of strokes which had flummoxed her earlier opponents.


But the tide of the match changed late in the second set as Goerges began to put more first serves in play and to gain more depth with her ground strokes, forcing Andreescu onto the defensive.


Georges clinched the second set in 45 minutes with a pivotal break in the 11th game, then took the deciding third set in only 23 minutes as Andreescu tired in her eighth match at the tournament. She broke Andreescu in the first, fifth and seventh games to clinch her seventh WTA Tour singles title.


"This meant a lot," Goerges said. "I don't know what to say right now because Bianca gave me a hard time today. She played some terrific tennis, different from a lot of players on the tour and I'm sure we're going to hear a lot more of her."




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