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▼ Air K Grounded For Rest of Season
- Category:Event
CINCINNATI (AFP-Jiji) — World No. 9 Kei Nishikori of Japan will miss the remainder of the 2017 ATP season after suffering a torn tendon in his right wrist, his management team announced Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Asian No. 1 will miss the upcoming U.S. Open, on the New York hardcourts where he has produced his best Grand Slam results — a 2014 runner-up finish and a semi-final run last year.
Nishikori becomes the third top-10 player to conclude his season early, joining Serbian 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, out with an elbow injury, and Swiss 2016 U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka with a knee injury.
A statement from Nishikori’s team said the injury took place during a
practice session in Cincinnati ahead of this week’s Western & Southern Open, the last major U.S. Open tuneup.
The decision to end Nishikori’s season came after advice was sought from five wrist specialists and with hope he can return in top form in 2018.
“Two days ago during practice in Cincinnati, Kei hit a serve and heard a ‘pop’ in his wrist,” the statement read.
“We went straight to the hospital to take an MRI. Yesterday, we went to see a very renowned wrist specialist who works with many of the Major League Baseball pitchers. We saw another specialist today to get a second opinion. On top of that we have sent MRI results to three other wrist specialists to ensure we get several independent opinions from specialists.
“After consulting with all of them, it has become clear that Kei has a tear in one of the tendons in the right wrist. At this stage, we have elected not to do surgery and Kei is in a cast.
“After the swelling comes down in the next weeks, we will evaluate next steps. Kei will withdraw from all the 2017 tournaments and work hard to be ready for next year.”
Brazilian Thiago Monteiro will replace Nishikori in the U.S. Open main draw when the year’s last Grand Slam tournament begins Aug. 28, organizers said.
Nishikori concludes the 2017 season with a 30-13 match record. His best finishes were runner-up showings at Brisbane in January and the Argentina Open in February.
In the Grand Slams, Nishikori reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, losing in five sets to eventual champion Roger Federer, falling in the French Open quarterfinals to Britain’s top-ranked Andy Murray and ousted in the third round at Wimbledon by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
Nishikori’s last match of the campaign was a three-set loss to Frenchman Gael Monfils in his opener last week at Montreal.
Teen Tiafoe takes out Zverev
Meanwhile, U.S. teen wildcard Frances Tiafoe shocked seventh-ranked Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the third round.
Riding a 10-match win streak after titles in Montreal and Washington,
Zverev was a favorite to capture his seventh title of the year in the last major U.S. Open hardcourt tuneup.
But 19-year-old Tiafoe, a second-round loser to the 20-year-old German at Wimbledon and the Australian Open in their only prior meetings, pulled off the greatest triumph of his young career.
“I’m happy it finally happened. I’ve lost a lot of tough matches,” Tiafoe said of his first win over a top-10 rival.
“We’re going to be playing a lot over the next 10 or 15 years. I didn’t want to start out 0-3 against him.”
Zverev said the toll of his extraordinary run caught up with him this week.
“I’m completely dead right now,” Zverev said. “I’ve been dead for the past two days. I finished the match. I could have easily pulled the plug in the second set.”
Zverev broke Tiafoe with a forehand winner to claim the first set, but Tiafoe broke three times to win the second set and again to stay level early in the third.
“In the middle of the second set, I was about 10 percent,” Zverev said. “He’s too good a player for me to beat him at this stage.”
Tiafoe forced two break and match points in the last game. When Zverev sent a forehand long, Tiafoe screamed with delight.
The 27-year-old Asian No. 1 will miss the upcoming U.S. Open, on the New York hardcourts where he has produced his best Grand Slam results — a 2014 runner-up finish and a semi-final run last year.
Nishikori becomes the third top-10 player to conclude his season early, joining Serbian 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, out with an elbow injury, and Swiss 2016 U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka with a knee injury.
A statement from Nishikori’s team said the injury took place during a
practice session in Cincinnati ahead of this week’s Western & Southern Open, the last major U.S. Open tuneup.
The decision to end Nishikori’s season came after advice was sought from five wrist specialists and with hope he can return in top form in 2018.
“Two days ago during practice in Cincinnati, Kei hit a serve and heard a ‘pop’ in his wrist,” the statement read.
“We went straight to the hospital to take an MRI. Yesterday, we went to see a very renowned wrist specialist who works with many of the Major League Baseball pitchers. We saw another specialist today to get a second opinion. On top of that we have sent MRI results to three other wrist specialists to ensure we get several independent opinions from specialists.
“After consulting with all of them, it has become clear that Kei has a tear in one of the tendons in the right wrist. At this stage, we have elected not to do surgery and Kei is in a cast.
“After the swelling comes down in the next weeks, we will evaluate next steps. Kei will withdraw from all the 2017 tournaments and work hard to be ready for next year.”
Brazilian Thiago Monteiro will replace Nishikori in the U.S. Open main draw when the year’s last Grand Slam tournament begins Aug. 28, organizers said.
Nishikori concludes the 2017 season with a 30-13 match record. His best finishes were runner-up showings at Brisbane in January and the Argentina Open in February.
In the Grand Slams, Nishikori reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, losing in five sets to eventual champion Roger Federer, falling in the French Open quarterfinals to Britain’s top-ranked Andy Murray and ousted in the third round at Wimbledon by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
Nishikori’s last match of the campaign was a three-set loss to Frenchman Gael Monfils in his opener last week at Montreal.
Teen Tiafoe takes out Zverev
Meanwhile, U.S. teen wildcard Frances Tiafoe shocked seventh-ranked Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the third round.
Riding a 10-match win streak after titles in Montreal and Washington,
Zverev was a favorite to capture his seventh title of the year in the last major U.S. Open hardcourt tuneup.
But 19-year-old Tiafoe, a second-round loser to the 20-year-old German at Wimbledon and the Australian Open in their only prior meetings, pulled off the greatest triumph of his young career.
“I’m happy it finally happened. I’ve lost a lot of tough matches,” Tiafoe said of his first win over a top-10 rival.
“We’re going to be playing a lot over the next 10 or 15 years. I didn’t want to start out 0-3 against him.”
Zverev said the toll of his extraordinary run caught up with him this week.
“I’m completely dead right now,” Zverev said. “I’ve been dead for the past two days. I finished the match. I could have easily pulled the plug in the second set.”
Zverev broke Tiafoe with a forehand winner to claim the first set, but Tiafoe broke three times to win the second set and again to stay level early in the third.
“In the middle of the second set, I was about 10 percent,” Zverev said. “He’s too good a player for me to beat him at this stage.”
Tiafoe forced two break and match points in the last game. When Zverev sent a forehand long, Tiafoe screamed with delight.
- August 17, 2017
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