A third career title, a personal best ranking and a win over Roger Federer would equate to a solid season by most players’ standards but it wasn’t quite enough for Kei Nishikori. Having set a goal to crack the top 10 in 2013, he fell tantalising short by peaking mid-year at world No.11 – so in 2014, he’s determined to take that next step.
The recent appointment of Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champion and a former world No.2, as a part-time coach is an important part of the strategy. Having played an exhibition event together in Japan in 2011, Nishikori realised that advice from the highly credentialed former professional could make a critical difference.
“I was practicing with him in California two weeks in December,” said Japan’s top player, who is also coached on a full-time basis by Dante Bottini. “It’s been great. He’s so detailed and he tells me a lot of things that I feel [I’m] improving a lot … I think its good match up.”
Certainly there is plenty that the current No.15 shares in common with Chang, who relied on speed and court craft against considerably taller opponents. “He’s not the tall guy, same as me,” said Nishikori, also noting another personal connection. “I mean, he’s American but he’s half Asian. I do think we can know more stuff.”
While reluctant to state exactly what improvements he and Chang have been targeting together, Nishikori didn’t mind sharing some of his ambitions for 2014: namely that top 10 breakthrough and some stronger showings in the Grand Slams, having failed to progress past the fourth round of any major in 2013. “Hopefully I can go quarterfinal or semis. I think that’s going to be my next goal,” he said.
To that end, Nishikori is delighted to be back in Australia, where he became Japan’s first male major quarterfinalist in 80 years at Australian Open 2012. A notable scalp in his best Grand Slam performance to date included 2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round. “[It’s] exciting that [the] Australian Open is coming up, so hopefully I can do well,” Nishikori said.
For now, though, Nishikori’s attention is firmly focused on the Brisbane International where he progressed to the semifinals in 2013 but had to withdraw through a knee injury. “It’s important that I do well,” said the tournament’s second seed.
With a bye in the first round, Nishikori will meet Australian Matt Ebden, who defeated Alex Kuznetsov, in his first match of the new season.