No. 22 Kei Nishikori, +14 Nishikori showed that he is well on his way to returning to the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings with his run to the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Nadal). The former World No. 4 was unseeded in the Principality, but battled his way through the draw with four three-set wins in five matches en route to the final. Read More: Nishikori: 'I'm Almost There' The Japanese right-hander beat No. 18 Tomas Berdych, Sydney International titlist Daniil Medvedev and Italian Andreas Seppi to reach the quarter-finals, where Nishikori had to raise his level and he did. The 28-year-old fought past two Top 5 opponents – Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev – to...
Just three months after making his return to competitive action on the ATP Challenger Tour in Newport Beach and Dallas, Kei Nishikori reminded the tennis world of his abilities with a hard-fought run to the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final this week. The former World No. 4, who was forced to shut down his 2017 ATP World Tour season with a wrist injury last August, navigated a tough draw in the Principality, defeating Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev in three-set battles en route to the championship match (l. to Nadal). “This week [is] going to help a lot with my confidence,” revealed Nishikori. “I think I've been playing well this week, and I think I'm almost there, [at my...
Rafael Nadal capped a magical week at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, surging to the title on a pristine, sun-kissed afternoon in the Principality. Nadal blasted past Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes to capture the highly-entertaining championship clash. He has now won a jaw-dropping 36 consecutive sets on clay, a personal-best on the surface. The Spaniard notched an unprecedented 31st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and 11th in Monte-Carlo. Furthermore, Nadal extended his stay atop the ATP Rankings, having needed a win to remain at No. 1. Nishikori, meanwhile, was bidding for his first Masters 1000 crown in what was his fourth final. Nadal bumps his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Nishikori to 10-2. Despite...
Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori have been waiting for this moment for a long time. On Sunday, the Spaniard and the Japanese will square off in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final, with the prestigious tournament crowning its 112th champion. Along the pristine shores of the Mediterranean, a historic title awaits the winner in the Principality. One year after completing 'La Decima' at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, Nadal vies for an unprecedented 11th title at one of his clay-court playgrounds. Meanwhile, Nishikori is hoping to complete his quest for a maiden Masters 1000 crown and claim a slice of history of his own, as the first Asian-born player to lift a trophy at the level. But, records and...
