Nishikori in doubt for Australian Open

Updated January 09, 2013 15:59:46

The Australian Open tennis campaign of Japanese star Kei Nishikori may well be over before it has begun.

The world number 18 has succumbed to a knee injury and pulled out of the Kooyong Classic lead-up event, due to begin on Wednesday.

Nishikori, an Australian Open quarter-finalist last year and winner of the Japan Open, withdrew from last week's Brisbane International and said on Tuesday he had not yet tested his knee.

However, after hitting at Melbourne Park, he felt he was not fit enough to compete at Kooyong and will use the remainder of the week undergoing intensive treatment to try to play in the Open.

Nishikori has been replaced in the field at Kooyong by Croatian Ivan Dodig, a 28-year-old ranked 74 in the world.

Despite the issue, the Japanese was upbeat about his chances of taking his place in the Open field.

"It's not bad - let's cross the fingers and hopefully it will be okay," he said.

Nishikori is the second player to withdraw from the exhibition event before its start.

Earlier, world number 12 Juan Monaco of Argentina pulled out on the eve of the tournament due to a hand problem.

Tournament director Colin Stubs said Monaco's management told him they were uncertain how serious the problem was but doctors had advised him not to play in the next few days.

Monaco's spot in the eight-man field was taken by world number 58 Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, melbourne-3000, japan

First posted January 09, 2013 11:09:13

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Nishikori wins Japan Open

Updated October 07, 2012 20:06:54

Kei Nishikori stunned big-serving Milos Raonic in three sets with an electrifying display of attacking tennis to become the host country's first Japan Open champion on Sunday.

The 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-0 victory was the eight seed's second career title after winning in Delray Beach in 2008 and will elevate the 22-year-old from 17th to 15th in the world rankings.

Nishikori took the first set tie-break 7-5 after a jaw-dropping running backhand pass, clenching his fist to salute the roars of a sell-out Tokyo crowd.

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, japan

First posted October 07, 2012 20:06:54

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Nishikori shocks Tsonga to make quarters

Updated January 23, 2012 19:51:21

Kei Nishikori blazed a trail for Asian men's tennis in the modern era on Monday when he became the first Japanese to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 80 years.

Nishikori stunned French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to emulate countrymen Ryosuki Nunoi and Jiro Satoh, who made the last eight in 1932, and now faces Andy Murray for a place in the semi-finals.

"Hopefully I can be like Li Na for the men," the 22-year-old said with a grin in reference to China's Li, who became Asia's first grand slam singles winner last year at the French Open.

"Honestly there's a lot of good players in Asia and I am happy to get to the top from Asia," added the 24th seed.

In the other fourth round match, Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets.

Ferrer, last year's semi-finalist, defeated 17th seed Gasquet 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 and will play either top seed Novak Djokovic or Lleyton Hewitt in Wednesday's quarters.

Nishikori left home at 13 to train at the Bolletierri Academy in Florida and after winning his first title at Delray Beach in 2008 has moved up the rankings to number 25 in the world and was seeded for the first time at Melbourne Park.

He is a celebrity in Japan, unable to walk around the streets freely in Tokyo without being approached by fans.

After beating Tsonga, he hoped it would provide further impetus to tennis in his country.

"A lot of people congratulate me," he added. "

"They always email me after the matches. Hopefully people, especially kids, (will) start playing tennis.

"But first of all I have to play well and I have to give them good news. If that helps Japan, I'm really happy."

Nishikori was visibly exhausted after his three hour, 25 minute match with France's Julien Benneteau on Saturday, finding it hard to climb the stairs.

But the 22-year-old shrugged off the fatigue and summoned the strength to chase down everything the powerful Tsonga threw at him.

"When you have a guy in front of you who returns everything, even when you serve 215 (kph), it puts a lot of pressure (on you)," Tsonga said.

"It's tough to play against him because he runs a lot and everything's coming back."

Nishikori is also the first Japanese man to reach a grand slam quarter-final since Shuzo Matsuoka, who has emailed him after each match, reached that stage at Wimbledon in 1995.

"This is the first (grand slam) quarter-final for me. (My) best result was the 2008 US Open round of 16 (but) that was a couple years ago," said Nishikori.

"So I feel I'm stepping up."

Murray, who knocked out the only other Asian left in the men's draw when Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin retired with an injury, said the Japanese would be a dangerous opponent.

"Kei is playing really, really well," said the fourth-seeded Briton.

"I've practiced with him a few times. He's very good. Very deceptive. For somebody that's not the tallest guy, he creates a lot of power from the back of the court.

"He deals with pace well. He can slice. He moves well. He was hitting a lot of winners out there and was dictating all the points from the back of the court which is difficult against someone like Tsonga."

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 23, 2012 17:03:03

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