Roger Federer outclasses Kei Nishikori at ATP Finals in London

ATP World Tour Finals, O2 Arena London, 9-16 November

Coverage: Afternoon sessions (14:00 GMT) and first semi-final (14:00 GMT) on BBC Two/BBC website, final on BBC Three/BBC website (19:00 GMT); commentary of each match on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, live text commentary on BBC website

Roger Federer closed in on a place in the semi-finals at the ATP World Tour Finals with victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori.

The Swiss won 6-3 6-2 and could qualify for the last four on Tuesday depending on the result of the late match between Andy Murray and Milos Raonic.
Federer, 33, needs Raonic to win or Murray to prevail in three sets.
If not, the six-time champion will need to secure his progress in his final Group B match against Murray.

Errors on big points undermined Nishikori's performance

"I was expecting a very difficult match," said Federer. "I've know him since he was 17 years old and always thought he was a great talent and he's going to have a great future. I'm very pleased with the way I played.
On his tactics, Federer added: "I'd like to come in much more but those days are long done, conditions have slowed down too much. I try to find a way. It's not as easy this week so you have to use different tactics this week."
Nishikori, 24, remains very much alive in the tournament following his opening win over Murray, but he found Federer a different proposition.
An early chance for the world number five came and went in an eight-minute third game as Federer saved a break point with an ace, before Nishikori fired a regulation forehand over the baseline on the second.
Federer grabbed the initiative in the next game with a brilliant cross-court pass and a thumping forehand into the corner to move 3-1 ahead, and he never looked back.
Nishikori is a great ball striker and one of the best movers in the game, but his lack of punch on serve allowed Federer to keep the pressure on when returning, and only a sharp backhand volley prevented the Japanese player going two breaks down.

Nishikori needed the trainer to strap up his right wrist after the first set

Federer saw out the set with little fuss and there was a sense of inevitability about the forehand error that saw Nishikori drop serve early in the third.
As his first-serve percentage fell below 50% and the error count increased, Nishikori double-faulted for the fifth time to hand Federer a 5-2 lead.
The world number two saved break point on his way to closing out the match after 67 minutes, and it is now highly unlikely he will suffer only a second group stage elimination in 13 appearances at the season finale.