Nishikori survives 1st-round scare at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia - Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori got off to a sluggish start, had a big letdown during a fourth-set tiebreaker but saved his best for last in a five-set victory over Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia at the Australian Open on Monday. Nishikori, who has advanced to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park the past two years, beat Kuznetsov 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-2 in 3-plus hours.

Nishikori led 5-2 in the tiebreaker before Kuznetsov rallied to take four consecutive points, then clinched the fourth on his second set point.

In the fifth set, Nishikori broke Kuznetsov's serve in the fourth and in the last games.