Raonic and Nishikori to play in Brisbane event

Former winner Milos Raonic and this year’s runner-up Kei Nishikori are set to return to next year’s Brisbane International, organisers said yesterday. Canada’s world No 24 Raonic, who defeated Roger Federer in the 2016 Brisbane final, will be playing in the Australian Open warmup tournament for the fourth time. “The conditions are ideal for preparing leading into Melbourne [Open] and the whole Australian swing. I think it’s the best way to start off alongside the best players in the world,” Raonic said. Japan’s Nishikori, ranked No 22 in the world, is lining up his eighth trip to the Brisbane International, starting on December 31.