MANSOORI THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014 SPORTS Sky’s the limit for record-breaking Nishikori TOKYO: You won’t catch Kei Nishikori snarling, topple the giants of tennis. er in 2008, and is a huge celebrity in Japan. and this year propelling his country to the Davis Cup scowling at opponents or yelling at umpires, but the Shuzo Matsuoka, the first Japanese player to win Despite winning five ATP titles to date, Nishikori’s quarter-finals. unassuming 24-year-old has a fire in his belly every an ATP title in 1992, believes Nishikori could even career has been blighted by injuries, most notably in Meanwhile, the decision to hire former French bit as strong as the game’s fiercest gladiators. Having produce a shock Grand Slam triumph this year, 2009 when he needed elbow surgery and feared he Open winner Michael Chang as coach late last year just become the first Japanese to crack the world’s which would give Asian tennis a further boost fol- might not play again. But Matsuoka tipped him to looks an inspired one. “Chang is exactly what Kei top 10 in men’s tennis, the sky could be the limit for lowing the success of China’s Li Na in the women’s join the Grand Slam winners’ club. needed,” said Matsuoka of the 1989 French Open the record-breaking Nishikori-if his fragile body holds game. “You saw in the Nadal match, his creativity and champion. “It’s not just about how much game you up. Where Rafael Nadal stares daggers across the net “There’s a new generation of players coming speed,” said Matsuoka, whose run to the 1995 have, but also tactics and resilience.” at rivals, Nishikori shuffles almost apologetically through to challenge the big four,” he told AFP, refer- Wimbledon quarter-final sparked a tennis boom in Nishikori’s best Grand Slam performance to date along the baseline, a toothy grin belying his swash- ring to Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Japan. was the quarter-finals in Melbourne two years ago. buckling style. Andy Murray. “I don’t think anyone doubts he can win Grand But if he continues on his upward curve, favorable Nishikori, who has risen to nine in the world rank- “He has the ability. I’ve been watching Kei since he Slams.” Given his first racquet when he was five, draws await at the four majors, and Stanislas ings, came agonisingly close to beating Nadal for the was 11. He has the touch of a genius, great imagina- Nishikori has come a long way since leaving his fami- Wawrinka’s Australian Open victory in January sug- first time in seven meetings in last weekend’s Madrid tion. “He has shots in his locker you just can’t teach,” ly home in mountainous Shimane prefecture, west- gests the field is more open than previous years. Open final before injury struck again. added Matsuoka. “Breaking into the top 10 is just the ern Japan as a bashful 13-year-old and arriving at “Kei has the potential,” said Japan’s former Davis In control at 6-2, 4-3, he felt a twinge in his hip and start.” Nick Bollettieri’s academy in Bradenton, Florida, Cup captain Eiji Takeuchi, who also feels the high-fly- went on to lose the second set 6-4 before retiring at unable to speak a word of English. ing Nishikori has a Grand Slam crown in him. 0-3 in the third. But after wins in Memphis and ‘SO TOUGH’ Earmarked for success at an early age by the “He was always a shy kid but once he stepped on Barcelona already this year, the Florida-based Nishikori burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old Japan Tennis Association, Nishikori has repaid them court, a switch flicked on inside him. He is so tough. Nishikori has demonstrated he has the weapons to by winning in Delray Beach as a 244th-ranked qualifi- in gold, proving a cash cow for the domestic game He could be aiming for the top five already.” —AFP Low downs the giant-killer LONDON: Low Wee Wern, who so nearly between her and the top five. became a giant-killer before her home crowd “It was a hard loss to take,” she said of her in last month’s World Championships, fol- setback against Massaro. “But everyone is still lowed it by halting a giant-killer in the British there for me. “I didn’t think I was that close to Open. beating a world champion. But I’ve been able The seventh-seeded Malaysian saw four to take the positives and I know that I am match points slip agonisingly away against almost up there with them.” Laura Massaro, the eventual world champion, One of the barriers to Low’s achieving this, in the quarter-finals in Penang, but now she admits, is so often having been the sneaked a narrow win against another underdog. She has played most of her career English player, Emma Beddoes. in the shadow of Nicol David, the fellow Low’s 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9 success Penangite who has been world number one was a courageously completed effort against for almost eight years, and has crept up the an unseeded opponent who overcame world rankings largely uncelebrated. finalist Nour El Sherbini on Tuesday and who But having dug deep to beat the in-form had little to lose 24 hours later. Beddoes she has realistic hopes of doing well Low was 6-8 down in both the first and again on Friday in the quarter-finals against second games, did well to pull the back the Raneem El Weleily, the world number three deficits, and then did even better to halt a from Egypt. El Weleily progressed with an 11- Beddoes surge from 5-9 to 9-9 in the decider. 5, 11-6, 11-3 win against Kasey Brown, the She did that with a nice mix of the short former top five Australian, showing once and the long games, coaxing in a tight little again that when she pegs down her concen- forehand drop shot to reach match point, tration she has the talent to beat anybody. and then converting it with a sharp stride to a Low meanwhile returned to the hotel and short ball and a crisply struck cross court kill. may seek further practice on the all-glass It was a disappointment for Beddoes who show court today. El Weleily by contrast created enough openings to suggest she can remained at the venue, ready to support her climb the top 20 even at the relatively late fiancee Tarek Momen in his second round age of 28, but further encouragement for match against Mohamed El Shorbagy, their Low that she can close the small gap fourth-seeded compatriot. —AFP ROME: France’s Jeremy Chardy celebrates after defeating Switzerland’s Roger Federer at the Italian open tennis tournament. —AP Federer blown off court ROME: Jeremy Chardy caught new father Roger in play rather than going for it,” said Federer. it can blow behind or in front of you and, it Federer on the hop at a wind-blown ATP-WTA Federer swept the opening set but began to depends on what side of the court you are on. “But Rome Masters yesterday, winning their second fade in the second as a charged-up Chardy made you have to play the wind, try to use it in your round match 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). his move. Federer, whjo salvaged seven of eight advantage if you can. I thought I did a good job of The upset loss, in just over two hours, came break points in the final set, saved a first match that.” barely a week after the 32-year-old Federer point. But he could not touch a freak Chardy cross- Murray will next face resurgent Austrian Jurgen became father to his second set of twins, boys this court return which landed on his shoelaces. Melzer, who beat Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 as a time round as opposed to girls the first occasion. “He’s not going to make that one very often, But return from a shoulder injury starts to pay off posi- “Unfortunately, when I had the lead I couldn’t it happens and credit to him. He fought his way tively. stretch it. That’s how it happened today. We both back into the match and got it,” said Federer. Murray has never been beaten in five previous struggled at time in the wind - at the end it was a Seventh seed Andy Murray took revenge for a meetings with Melzer, with the pair last facing shot here or there that decided the match,” said the defeat a year ago as he beat Marcel Granollers to each other in the 2011 Australian Open. Swiss. open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory into the third round. Murray, playing in Rome for the ninth time, is The fourth-seed, who has never won the Rome The Spaniard had benefitted in 2013 when the trying to kick-start his delayed clay season which title, decided to come and have a go on the clay of Scot had to quit their second-round contest with began only last week with a win and a loss in the Foro Italico after consulting with wife Mirka the back pains which eventually forced him to Madrid. His best showing in Rome was a 2011 and his team.