The Countdown Begins: Kei Nishikori Opens Up on His Tennis Retirement Plans
Davis Cup World Group 1: Japan vs Colombia
A pre-tournament press conference for the men’s tennis international team Davis Cup World Group 1 match “Japan vs Colombia” was held on the 13th. Former world No. 4, Kei Nishikori, expressed his expectations for Japan’s younger players.
In World Group 1, 24 countries will compete for a place in the Final Qualifiers in 2025. Japan won the World Group 1 Playoff “Japan vs. Lebanon” with a score of 3 wins and 1 loss, securing their place in World Group 1. Colombia won the World Group 1 playoff match against Luxembourg with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses, remaining in World Group 1.
Japan will be fielding the following players in this match: Yoshihito Nishioka (world ranked 54th), Taro Daniel (92nd), Shintaro Mochizuki (146th), Nishikori (205th), and Yosuke Watanuki (338th). The match pairings were announced at the draw ceremony, with Nishioka and Nishikori competing in singles, and Nishikori and Watanuki competing in doubles.
At a subsequent press conference, Nishikori spoke about taking part in national team matches which do not award ranking points as he aims for a full recovery. “To be honest, I want to get some points. My first goal is to get back into the top 100 as quickly as possible.” He also expressed his expectations for the younger players, jokingly saying, “I’ll be gone in a few years, though.”
“The younger players are reliable. They have the potential to do well, so I’m always hoping they’ll improve quickly. As for Nishioka, I think he can do even more. I’ll be gone in a few years, but if Nishioka improves a bit, and Taro too, then I think those two (Watanuki and Mochizuki) and the younger players will also be able to improve, so I have high hopes for them.”
Match Schedule
[Saturday 14th]
- First match (scheduled to start at 2 p.m.): Yoshihito Nishioka vs. A. Soriano Varela (Colombia)
- Game 2: Kei Nishikori vs. N. Mejia (Colombia)
[Sunday 15th]
- Third match (scheduled to start at 13:00): Kei Nishikori/Yosuke Watanuki vs. N. Barrientos (Colombia)/C. Rodriguez (Colombia)
- Fourth Match: Yoshihito Nishioka vs. N. Mejia (Colombia)
- Game 5: Kei Nishikori vs. Andrea Soriano Varela (Colombia)
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