Surprise Australian Open quarter-finalist Kei Nishikori says not giving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as many chances to hit booming forehands was the key to his upset of the French No.6 seed on Monday.
In his first three matches of the tournament, Tsonga had struck 44 winners in seeing off Denis Istomin in four sets and 54 and 35 respectively in beating Ricardo Mello and Frederico Gil in straight sets.
But while Tsonga still managed to add another 50 to his tally in Monday's five-set encounter in the Melbourne Park heat at Hisense Arena, Nishikori's game plan to play to his backhand as much as possible helped as Tsonga also committed an incredible 70 unforced errors.
"Yeah, I watched some matches this last week (and) he was hitting bombs, a lot of forehands, a lot of inside out (shots)," Nishikori said of his strategy.
"I was trying to be careful at the start (and) tried to go his backhand, (so) yeah, (I) just tried to be solid."
The first Japanese player through to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in 80 years, having now reached this stage of a Grand Slam for the first time, Nishikori insists all the pressure will be on his opponent on Wednesday, British No.4 seed Andy Murray.
"I never feel the pressure," he added. "It's a great honour to make a lot of histories, to be No.1 player in Japan but that never gives me the pressure."
"Andy, we played last year, end of last year (and) he kind of destroyed me."
"But I have no pressure now."
"He's one of the players I have to play like him (and) I learn a lot of things from him."
"Yeah, it's going to be tough, but I (will) try to do my best tennis."
Nishikori was also in no doubt that he is taking big strides in his career.
"Yeah, for sure, yeah, this is first quarter-final for me," said Nishikori, who looked down and out when he trailed two-sets-to-love against Australian Matthew Ebden in the second round only to storm home.
"Yeah, (my) best result is 2008 US Open round of 16, that was (a) couple years ago."
"And I played well end of last year, and now it's like this, so, yeah, I feel I'm stepping up."