Nishikori plays French bogeyman to reach U.S. Open last 16

Sep 3, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Kei Nishikori of Japan hits a forehand against Nicolas Mahut of France (not pictured) on day six of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sixth seed Kei Nishikori continued to be a French bogeyman, beating a sluggish Nicolas Mahut 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 in the third round at the U.S. Open on Saturday.

With a 10-1 record against Frenchmen this season, Nishikori surely was pleased to see four players from France in his quarter of the draw, and he added the 34-year-old Mahut's scalp to his growing collection.