Medvedev clinches Japan Open title
Russian qualifier Daniil Medvedev stunned home favourite Kei Nishikori in the final to claim the Japan Open title after a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory in Tokyo on Sunday.
Medvedev came out of the blocks fast and Nishikori, aiming for his third title at this event, could not cope with the big-hitting Russian who broke his serve at the second time of asking.
After that it was a story of mistakes by world number 12 Nishikori -- 11 unforced errors in the first set - and consistent serving by Medvedev who strolled to a 6-2 first set in just 25 minutes.
Nishikori corrected issues with his own serve in the second set but still could not have an impact on Medvedev’s service games, winning only one point on the Russian’s serve during the entirety of the second set.
Medvedev bided his time and broke a tired Nishikori, whose final shot was another wild miss, to wrap up the victory and secure a third ATP title of the season.
“I was playing amazing and I am so happy to come out on top,” said Medvedev, who will jump to 22nd in the world rankings, after winning in just over an hour.
“To play seven matches and losing only one set, this makes me extremely happy.”
Medvedev has defeated Milos Raonic and Diego Schwartzmann en route to Sunday’s final and did not drop a single service game in his last three matches.
“The serve is the most important thing in tennis right now,” the 22-year-old added.
Nishikori has now lost eight ATP finals since his last victory, which came at the Memphis Open in February 2016.
“He’s serving great. I didn’t have any chance on his first serve, even second serve,” Nishikori said. “His ball was skipping a lot on this surface and he was hitting good enough flat shots and he was serving great, so it was tough to play against Daniil today.
“It’s been a great couple months. After the US Open, I think I’ve been playing well,” he added. “I’ve got to keep playing the same in Shanghai.”
TOKYO:
WOZNIACKI WINS
Caroline Wozniacki said she was fulfilling her childhood dreams after she won a 30th WTA singles title with victory over Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the China Open final on Sunday.
The Danish world number two was impressive all week in Beijing, never dropping a set and rarely looking troubled, sealing her spot in the WTA Finals Singapore in the process.
The 28-year-old Wozniacki, who won her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open at the start of this year, was imperious against the unseeded Sevastova, winning 6-3, 6-3.
US Open champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of this week’s Hong Kong Open to prevent aggravating a slight back injury, organisers said on Sunday.
The Japanese star required treatment to her lower back during her semi-final defeat to unseeded Anastasija Sevastova at the China Open in Beijing on Saturday.
Afterwards, Osaka, who turns 21 on October 16, said it was more a case of fatigue than anything more serious, but suggested that she may not make the WTA Hong Kong Open, which starts on Monday. “Unfortunately, I have been playing through pain in my back this whole week,” the world number six said in a subsequent statement released by organisers. “The doctors have advised me that I need to rest to ensure the injury is not aggravated and become more serious.”
BEIJING: HONG KONG: