Kei Nishikori, the former world No. 4 ranked player, lost to Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the ATP Tour after a protracted injury layoff.
Nishikori has hardly participated in the ATP Tour in the previous two years; his most recent match was in Atlanta in July.
He expressed his thoughts after the loss in Miami and said: “I thought I was training well and playing much better. I was feeling the rhythm and the ball pretty well in the practice but during the match, it was completely different. It was windy, he was hitting the ball very hard and very quick, and the courts were quick. I was having a tough time making a lot of balls in the court and just the little things that I was not making, maybe I was supposed to hit the corner but the ball goes to the middle sometimes.”
Even though he is 34 years old and will have a difficult time moving up the rankings, Nishikori remains confident in his ability to return to the top.
He added: “I don’t have a clear goal right now; you know, I just want to play a lot of matches. I need some time to get used to matches, and hopefully, I can stay healthy. I think that’s the only goal this year. I try to play as many matches as I can.”
First Miami win 🤩
Sebastian Ofner stops Kei Nishikori's comeback bid, 6-3 6-4 at #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/Xw5HgNt8Mf
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 21, 2024
Kei Nishikori in 2024
At the moment ranked no.351, Nishikori played his last match on the 21st of March when he surrendered to world no.40 Sebastian Ofner 6-3 6-4 in the 1st round in Miami (draw).
This season Nishikori has an overall 0-1 record.
He is also scheduled to play in Houston (US Men’s Clay Court Championship). The main draw will start on the 1st of April.
Kei Nishikori |
| Embed from Getty Images |
