Tennis: Nishikori beats Ofner in US Open qualifying 1st round
NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Japan's soon-to-retire former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori advanced to the second round of qualifying for the U.S. Open on Tuesday by
On Tuesday, Japan's former world No. 4 tennis player Kei Nishikori advanced to the second round of U.S. Open qualifying by defeating Austrian player Sebastian Ofner 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. Nishikori, who will retire at the end of the season, had announced his retirement in late April. The 36-year-old made his way to Flushing Meadows as a qualifying wild card.
The match saw Nishikori win the first set, but Ofner managed to level the score in the second set. However, Nishikori broke his opponent's serve twice in the decisive third set to secure the win in 1 hour, 30 minutes. The veteran, who is a bronze medalist from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, had undergone left hip surgery in January 2022 and had been dealing with other injuries since his return to competitive play in June 2023.
Nishikori expressed his happiness with the victory, stating that winning a match is his greatest joy. He also mentioned a moment of self-doubt during the match, but managed to stay aggressive throughout. With this win, Nishikori now needs to win three more rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw of the U.S. Open.
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