Kei Nishikori began his first trip to the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over home favourite Andy Murray on Sunday.
The fourth-seeded Japanese – the first Asian man to qualify for the year-end championship – was in total control and secured important points in a tough Group B that also includes Roger Federer and Milos Raonic.
After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semi-finals of the indoor tournament at the O2 Arena.
Murray only sealed his spot at the season finale last week in Paris, following an impressive run in which he won 20 of 23 matches. But he appeared tired and never looked capable of turning the match around, despite support from the crowd.
Nishikori, who also reached his first grand slam final earlier this year at the US Open, has turned into a major player on the Tour this season, claiming four titles to climb to fifth place in the rankings after improving the mental side of his game.
“I think he hasn’t made big changes to technique or any of his shots particularly, but he’s playing with more confidence,” said Murray after his loss at the O2 Arena. “Because of that, he’s able to take more chances and be a little bit more aggressive than he was previously.”
The main reason behind Nishikori’s breakthrough has been a change in the 24 year old’s approach when facing the top players. With the help of coach Michael Chang, the former French Open champion, Nishikori is now able to leave aside the admiration that paralysed him on his debut on the Tour.
As a result, he posted 10 wins over members of the Top 10 this season and defeated Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic en route to the final at Flushing Meadows.
“After turning pro, I was feeling a lot of respect to everybody actually, especially top players,” Nishikori said. “The first time I played Roger [Federer], I could not play anything because I respected him too much. I was not going for the win actually. I was just playing tennis with my idol. That was one of the problems I had.”
One of the smallest players in tennis elite, Nishikori also worked hard to improve his fitness after an early career marred by injuries.
“I’m spending more time in the gym and also on the courts, I’m practicing more during the off-season,” he said. “Even when I’m on the tour, I’m trying to do a little bit of rehab and a little bit of training.”
Placed in a tough Group B, Nishikori admitted that he struggled with his nerves early on against the Scot.
“Maybe the beginning was a little bit tight, but I started feeling well and the second set was almost perfect,” Nishikori said after posting his first win over Murray. “I knew he is very consistent from the baseline, so I knew I had to be more aggressive than usual and that’s how I won today. It’s my goal to go to the semi-final and final.”
Murray, who expressed worries that he could be rejected by London fans after coming out in favour of Scottish independence in September, received a warm welcome.
The Scot secured the first break in the fifth game after taking advantage of his opponent’s unforced errors, but could not hold his next serve after hitting two double faults.
Nishikori did not serve well, hitting eight double-faults and averaging a low first-serve percentage of 46. But Murray also struggled on his service games, winning only seven points on his second serve.
Nishikori progressively took control of the match, pushing Murray into long rallies before overwhelming him with powerful groundstrokes. Pegged back well behind his baseline, Murray saved one set point with a cross-court forehand that Nishikori could not return, but fluffed a backhand drop shot on the next one.
Although he lost the final in New York to Marin Cilic, Nishikori has continued to shine in the closing weeks of the season, winning tournaments in Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo to climb to fifth in the world, making him the highest-ranked Asian male ever.
In contrast, Murray had spent the last two months jetting across the globe on a gruelling schedule of six consecutive tournaments in a successful bid to qualify for the finals after he fell out of the top 10 for the first time in six years.
The Scot chalked up titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia and claimed he had played his way back into form.
Murray looked like extending his impressive run when he broke for a 3-2 lead in the first set. But Nishikori hit straight back, breaking Murray to love in the next game, and he took the set when the Scot’s miscued drop-shot fluttered into the net.
He remained in charge in the second set and showed Murray how to play the drop shot in exquisite fashion to break in the second game.
Murray earned a lifeline when he broke back in the seventh game, but Nishikori kept the pressure on and sealed the win on his first match point when the Scot sent a backhand long.
Monday sees two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic facing Cilic while Stan Wawrinka plays Tomas Berdych.
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