Kei Nishikori wins in Memphis for 3rd career title

Kei Nishikori won his third career title at the U.S. National Indoor Championships.

Mark Humphrey/AP

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Kei Nishikori of Japan won his third career title and second since October, beating Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-2, 6-3 in the U.S. National Indoor Championships on Sunday.

Nishikori needed only 67 minutes to improve to 3-2 in finals. He won his first career title in Delray Beach in 2008 and improved to 11-2 this year.

Seeded fifth, Nishikori was the only seed to reach the weekend. He finished the tournament without dropping a set in taking the $291,800 winner's check.

Lopez, who beat Nishikori in April 2011 in Barcelona on clay, was looking for his own third career ATP title and first since Johannesburg in February 2010.

But Nishikori broke Lopez twice to go up 4-1 in the first set and broke him again to start the second.