A recent disappointing swing on the South American clay has done little to derail Kei Nishikori from his dream of claiming his maiden Masters title.
Last month the world No.5 reached his 22nd ATP Final at the Argentina Open before crashing out in straight sets to Alexandr Dolgopolov. The loss extended Nishikori’s losing streak in finals to six as he continues his bid to win his first trophy since February 2016. Shortly after his woes in Buenos Aires, the Japanese player suffered a further blow in the Rio Open when he was stunned in the second round by Thomaz Bellucci. It was a gamble that didn’t pay off for Nishikori, who skipped the Memphis Open (a event he had won fours years in a row) to play in South America.
Despite his misfortunes on the clay, Nishikori remains high in confidence for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The tournament takes place on hard courts, a surface where the 27-year-old has won nine out of his 11 ATP titles.
“I’m feeling very good,” he told atpworldtour.com. “I had a lot of time after Rio so I was working really hard. I had a couple more days here to adjust to this surface.
“It was a big decision not to play Memphis but I think it was a good experience. The condition was a little bit tough in South America. I thought it was a good two weeks even though I lost first round and lost a final. I hope I can do well here and Miami now.”
This week will see Nishikori play in his 44th Masters 1000 tournament. It was at Indian Wells where he made his main draw debut in the prestigious category, losing his first round match to Marin Cilic in 2008. Competing in an era dominated by the ‘big four’, the Japanese player believes he knows what is required to secure a breakthrough on the biggest stages of the tour.
“Those guys have a lot of experience,” he said. “They know how to raise their level in the match and we’ve got to fight for those tough moments.
“I’m working on a bit of everything. Tennis-wise I think my serve, strokes – I’ve still got to make some adjustments and mentally I have to be strong to win big tournaments like this.”
Few can doubt the ability of the world No.5 when it comes to playing against the best in the world. Since 2014 Nishikori has scored at least five or more wins over top-10 players every season. This year he has already downed Stan Wawrinka in straight sets at the Brisbane Open. The problem has been converting those significant wins into significant silverware.
Seeking to become the first player from his country to win a Masters title, Nishikori will kick-off his Indian Wells campaign against either Great Britain’s Dan Evans or Germany’s Dustin Brown in the second round.
