Step up year for Nishikori
Step up year for Nishikori
BRISBANE – At some point in the future, someone is going to break down the high wall that men’s tennis’ ‘Big 4’ of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have constructed, but that point in time may not come in the 2013 season.
However, it is possible that one of the talented member of the newer generation could break through this season. Japanese fans are hoping that player will be Kei Nishikori, who has his best season ever in 2012, ending the year in the top 20 for the first time.
He’s very fast, has lethal forehand, a very good return and solid backhand. But while he has already become Japan’s best male player ever, he’s of slight stature and being able to trade big blows with the powerful and relentless Big 4 will admittedly be a huge challenge.
And it’s not just the 23 year old Nishikori who needs to show he can play at super elide level. Other younger players such as Canadian Milos Raonic Australian Bernard Tomic, Ukrainian Alex Dolgopolov and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov also need to show they have another level in them.
“Raonic is almost there, almost to top 10,” said Nishikori after his quarterfinal victory over Dolgopolov at the Brisbane International. “For me, I haven’t beat those guys yet, top four guys. It’s important to play with those guys and to try to win. That’s big step for us.”
There are number of factors that separate the younger group from the Big 4, but primarily, the reason why none of them have been able to make a huge breakthrough as of yet is because they are not refined all around players. Yes, mental toughness also means a great deal. Yes, being able to read foes’ serves like a brain surgeon like all of the Big 4 can do is critical, as is the super elite’s superior movement. But it’s combining all those elements with penetrating strokes and keen game planning that makes top 4 so “Big.”
“Experience for sure,” Nishikori said when he was asked what separates his group from the Big. 4. “They really smart in how they play. They take all the important points and they have good accuracy of serves, good ace. If you can have a little more experience and a little more aggressive, then I think we have some chance.”
When Nishikori arrived at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in 2006, he experienced serious culture shock. “I didn’t know any words. I was scared of the Americans,” he said a couple of years later.
In 2008, he won his first ATP title at Delay Beach as an 18-year-old qualifier, becoming the first Japanese ATP title winner since Shuzo Matsuoka won Seoul in April 1992.
He chose to train in the United States in order to get better competition, and decided to attend Bollettieri’s, where he would end up rooming with Brad Gilbert’s son, Zach. Japan has sported a phalanx of fine women players during the Open Era (such as top 10ers Kimiko Date and Ai Sugiyama), but it hadn’t had any real impact male players since the 1920s, when it was an impact nation in Davis Cup.
The coaches at the Bollettieri Academy gave him nickname “Project 45″ which signified the ranking number he aimed to break, the highest that a Japanese male ever achieved.
Last year, he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and won Tokyo in the fall. He left that mark in the dust.
Even though he has yet to win a major he is an icon at home. Due to that status, in 2012, he signed a massive deal with the Japanese apparel company Uniqlo. He also has deals with Nissan, Wowow and Wilson.
If the world No. 19 manages to better his results this year, he may break the bank. He’s 23-years-old and it’ss time for him to peak.
“It’s going to be a big step year for me,” he said. “Try to get top 10 hopefully and stay healthy and stay strong. That’s the goal for this year.”
ends
Share this article:
Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:
10sBalls Top Stories
- No Key Biscayne, No Problem; New Site, Same Great Miami Open Tennis Event
- 10SBALLS SHARES FAVORITE EPA TENNIS PHOTOS Of 2018
- THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY TENNIS PLAYER & FAN
- ATP MEN’S TENNIS • WILL IT MOVE FROM LONDON TO MANCHESTER OR TOKYO OR SINGAPORE? OR TURIN?
- ALIX RAMSAY WRITES TO “TENNIS SANTA CLAUS” WITH HER WISHES • ANDY MURRAY!
- CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE JACK KRAMER CLUB – DECEMBER 15 TO 22 2018 • UTR • ORACLE • AND AN AWESOME NEW TENNIS EVENT
- 10sBalls.com Shares Alix Ramsay’s Rambling On About Tennis and The Holidays
- ROGER FEDERER JOINED BY RAFA NADAL FOR THE 2019 LAVER CUP FESTIVITIES IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- TENNIS PLAYERS’ UNION – IS IT NEEDED? BY MARK WINTERS
- Tennis News: Wilson’s Revolution Is Here – THE CLASH
- ROTTERDAM TENNIS TOURNEY DIRECTOR RICHARD KRAJICEK ANNOUNCES DAVID GOFFIN TO PLAY IN 2019 ABN AMRO
- JELENA VEMIC’S PHOTO GALLERY
- TENNIS NEWS FROM LONDON • 10SBALLS REPORTS ON THE LAWN TENNIS WRITERS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON AT WIMBLEDON’S DEBENTURE CLUB
- 10sBalls.com Shares a Great Gift For A Tennis Player – The Functional Tennis Match Journal
- BNP PARIBAS TENNIS OPEN NAMED 2018 WTA PREMIER MANDATORY TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR
In Case You Missed It
EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA
Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE
Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER
According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife
Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos