Kei Nishikori broke a four-match losing streak on Monday with a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over seventh seed and last year’s finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
Nishikori won the final three points of the tie-break, which ended with Auger-Aliassime slicing a backhand wide to finish the 67-minute opener. The 19-year-old Auger-Aliassime received on-court treatment after the first game of the second set, which saw Nishikori win 25 of 34 points.
“It was a very tight game, he was serving great especially in the first set and he won a lot on first serve,” said Nishikori. “I played solidly in the tie-break and served well on the last couple of points. It was easier in the second set, with his injury, but I was more comfortable and striking the ball better.”
Nishikori, who is currently No. 45 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, reached the 2019 semi-finals at the Rotterdam Ahoy. He is now 3-7 since returning from injury and illness in September last year.
The 31-year-old Japanese star will next challenge an Australian: Alex de Minaur or John Millman in the second round.
Earlier in the day, qualifier Cameron Norrie won the first seven games of his 6-0, 6-3 victory over Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, who led 3-1 in the second set. The Briton will next play Swiss eighth seed and 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka or Karen Khachanov of Russia.
Former World No. 1 and 2009 titlist Andy Murray plays Dutch wild card Robin Haase in the first match of the night session, prior to Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics meeting Reilly Opelka of the United States.