Gael Monfils, the No. 2 seed at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016, is a hit wherever he goes. The flashy Frenchman believes that his fan appeal originates from the sincerity with which he approaches the sport. “I’m a very natural person on the court. I try to be myself and forget about the pressure,” Monfils said. “Some may think that I am really trying to be entertaining, but for me that’s just the way that I enjoy playing the game. I’m happy to see that people like the way I play and that I help them have fun.” The 30 year old’s charm has won him many fans in Tokyo, where he reached the semi-finals twice in three...
A near-capacity crowd was on hand for the 10th edition of ATP Sunday at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016. The annual pre-tournament event allowed fans to see ATP World Tour stars such as Kei Nishikori, Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic and Feliciano Lopez from up-close, while giving the players an opportunity to practise in front of a boisterous crowd before main draw action gets underway Monday. After battling Marcos Baghdatis in a friendly match, Nishikori was the honouree in a short on-court ceremony where he received a trophy for his bronze-medal showing at the Rio Olympics. The Japanese No. 1 topped Rafael Nadal in the third-place match and became the first Japanese player to win an Olympic tennis medal...
Kei Nishikori, a two-time champion in Tokyo, will face an experienced opponent in the first round of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016. The 2012 and 2014 winner will take on Nicolas Almagro, a Spaniard who reached No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in 2011 and beat Nishikori 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-3 in the Tokyo quarter-finals in 2013. A deep run in Tokyo will help the Japanese star's qualification bid for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, but first he will need to work his way through a difficult section of the draw. David Goffin and Kevin Anderson are possible quarter-final opponents, while a meeting with Marin Cilic, who topped Nishikori in the 2014 US Open final, could occur...