Japanese local hero Kei Nishikori and Russian qualifier Daniil Medvedev will compete in the final of the ATP 500cc tournament in Tokyo on Sunday.
The top seeded Nishikori could win the title at the Japan Open for the third time after 2012 and 2014 and win his ATP trophy number twelve. The former US Open finalist, number three seeded in Tokyo, won the preliminary round on Saturday 7:6 (7:2), 6:1 against the French Richard Gasquet (No. 8).
The 28-year-old Nishikori did not allow a break point in the 90-minute game and served ten aces among other things. In the final, Daniil Medvedev (ATP-No. 32) is waiting for the first qualifier since 16 years in the Tokyo final after a 6:3, 6:3 against “NextGen” hopeful Denis Shapovalov (Canada).
Good omens, because Medvedev (22) already won the title as qualifier in Sydney at the beginning of the year. The second half of 2017 had not gone according to the wishes of the Russian with Monte Carlo as his adopted home. Twelve months ago, he only finished 64th in the ATP ranking – and was frustrated to find himself in the midst of a negative series of eight defeats in a row.
A win on Sunday against Nishikori, to whom he lost at the Masters in Monaco in April, would make Medvedev the Russian number one for the first time. With his third overall tournament success on the ATP Tour, he would outdo his compatriot Karen Khachanov in the list of the best.
Here is the tableau of Tokyo