The Japan Open features one of the most competitive fields on the tour at an ATP 500 event this season. The Tennis Review looks at the potential Champions, what obstacles they have to overcome, and what the title would mean to them.
Kei Nishikori (2)
The two time defending champion goes into his home event at the end of another remarkable but injury hit, and at times inconsistent, year.
The Japanese, who hit a career high of four in the ATP rankings this March, becoming the first Japanese player to do so, has fallen down to world no. 6 since then. That fall mostly is due to his failing miserably to defend his US Open final points- the Japanese suffered a shock upset to Benoit Paire in the first round.
Nishikori has not competed since that disappointing defeat, and he has his work cut out on his return to the ATP tour. The second seed has been drawn against Borna Coric in round 1, could face Alexandr Dolgopolov in round two, and is scheduled to meet his 2014 US Open conqueror Marin Cilic in the quarters.
If Nishikori navigates that tough section of the draw, he is scheduled to face fourth seed Richard Gasquet and then top seed Stan Wawrinka in the final.
A third consecutive Japan Open trophy would get 2015 back on track for Nishikori and save him from possibly slipping even further down the rankings. A win would also put him in strong contention for the ATP World Tour finals. Meanwhile, a loss would be further disappointment for Nishikori and his fans, particularly considering his heroic status in his homeland, and an early defeat before an idolizing crowd which might take Nishikori some time to recover from.
Stan Wawrinka (1)
Wawrinka has had a career year this season winning the French Open in emphatic style, reaching the Australian Open and US Open semis, and winning Rotterdam and Chennai.
Wawrinka’s streaky nature –he has suffered eight upsets this years-means he could win the whole thing or bow out early. The latter occurrence is not too far-fetched either as his first round opponent is the unique Radek Stépanek who leads their head to head 4-1, though the Czech’s last win came all the way back in 2009.
Wawrinka has nothing to lose this event- he has already qualified for the ATP World Tour finals- but if he does win the title it would balance out his season nicely.
Marin Cilic
Cilic surprised many in reaching the US Open semi-finals last month and he was unlucky to suffer an ankle injury before his semi-final against Novak Djokovic.
Cilic is a curious case. The 27 year old has a Slam trophy in the cabinet, and 12 ATP 250 titles, but has never made the semis of an ATP 1000 event, and has never won an ATP 500, finishing runner up four times. So a first ATP 500 title would make his tournament record less quirky when compared to other Slam champs.
Cilic, who this weekend lost in the Shenzhen semi-final to Garcia-Lopez in three sets, has a tough task ahead of him in Tokyo if he is to win the title. The Croat has the recently in-form Donald Young in the first round and is scheduled to meet Nishikori, who beat him in this Summer’s Washington final, in the quarters.
Grigor Dimitrov
The recent news Grigor Dimitrov had taken on Franco Davin as coach was well received with his fans who are hoping Davin’s slam winning touch (del Potro, Gaudio) might rub off on the now ranked no. 19 (Dimitrov was ranked 8 in August 2014).
The pair’s first event together last week in Kuala Lumpur resulted in a straight sets loss to 74th ranked Veteran Benjamin Becker in the quarter finals. While that was another frustrating loss for Dimitrov and his fans, there was one positive factor- it was the first quarter he had reached since Madrid.
If anyone’s season needs saving, it’s Dimitrov’s, but there is unlikely to be a successful rescue mission in Tokyo next week. Dimitrov has drawn the dangerous Benoit Paire in the first round, and if he manages to survive that test, he would face either Fernando Verdasco or Marcos Baghdatis. Should he make his second quarter in a row, he would then come up against nemesis Richard Gasquet whom he trails 0-3.
Commentary by Christian Deverille.
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