Fit-again Kei Nishikori eyeing return to the ATP top 10

ATP Tour

Kei Nishikori returned to winning ways over the weekend and he has set his sights on getting back into the ATP Tour top 10.

The former US Open finalist has slipped to No 27 in the world after he missed last year’s US Open and the 2018 Australian Open due to a wrist injury.

He opted to make his competitive return on the second-tier Challenger Series, but lost his first-round match in Newport Beach, California, a fortnight ago.

The Japanese No 1 then accepted a wildcard to compete in last week’s The RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, and went all the way as he beat American Mackenzie McDonald 6-1, 6-4 in the final.

Although he is not yet 100%, Nishikori is determined to rise to the top again.

“I started to feel confident in my strokes,” he said. “I’m getting closer to ideal (play) now that I’m able to play better.”

He added: “I can’t say that I’m 100 percent, but I’m playing a lot of good tennis. If I can, I want to get back into the top 10 (of the world rankings) but every tournament is a challenge. I want to regain my senses.”

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