Nishikori wins Melbourne epic then reveals he almost quit tennis

The 35-year-old dug deep to save two match points in a five-set epic against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro on John Cain Arena and keep him alive for another day. Nishikori, who reached a career-high four in the world and was a US Open finalist a decade ago, rallied to win 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in 4hr 6min. "I almost gave up at match point," said Nishikori, who is on the comeback trail after spending years sidelined by major hip surgery and an ankle injury. "He was playing very good and was on a roll.