Yoshihito Nishioka Update

[scoop]

The 21-year-old Japanese who emerged as an ATP rising star this year with wins against higher ranked Ivo Karlovic, Tomas Berdych, Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison but tore his left knee ACL while leading Sock in the second round is making good progress in his recovery.

According to a Japanese journalist, Nishioka practiced playing tennis from a wheelchair before returning to regular court training recently. Nishioka, who cracked the top 60 with a ranking of 58 and a 9-9 won/loss record, is expected to begin competing again in January.

Though he was playing the best tennis of his career, Nishioka, who reached the round of 16 at Indian Wells this year, has been far from miserable while having to miss playing and progressing his uniquely effective game. Nishioka has been a full time tennis player since the age of fourteen (when he moved to Bradenton, Florida to attend the IMG Academy). With the free time, Nishioka has attended music festivals and other typical early 20’s activities which were not possible while competing full time on the ATP World Tour.

The knee injury, which appeared traumatic for the young Japanese who had forced Rafael Nadal to a first set tiebreaker in the Acapulco quarterfinal, could end up being a useful motivation…and perhaps a blessing in disguise.

Several ATP players, including Thomas Muster and Andy Roddick, achieved their best successes after undergoing knee surgeries.

-By Scoop Malinowski

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Scoop or anyone else at the Open. We know Stan isn't laying but any idea if is he there for Ms. Vekic?

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

I think he might be (I'm not at the Open) because I saw a photo of them together but can't be certain it was in New York. I'm sure he'll be there in spirit (Donna has improved a lot - I thought she was one of the worst pro players I'd ever seen a couple of years ago)

 

[TFBlogGuest]

catherine writes:

At last - change in the Kerber camp - Angie has brought back her former coach (Benjamin ?) to work with Torben Belz and she and her team have spent time at Patrick M's place in Nice. Patrick's going to end up helping half the WTA and ATP if this goes on His autobiography is published in Britain in translation BTw.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

scoopmalinowski writes:

No Stan sightings yet Duke. I would guess he will be here though as thats what a devoted bf should do. Vekic has potential to make a run.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Chazz writes:

I don't understand the brackets. #70 Tiafoe and Federer are playing in fhe first round but then you also have #159 Tommy Paul and #118 Taro Daniel playing in the first round. Wouldn't it make more sense to be like other sports where the highest seeds play the lowest seeds in the first round? Seems like luck of the draw, which is a huge disadvantage to some players who you would think have earned easier first round opponents than they are getting.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

The luck of the draws, or in Tiafoe's case, the unluck of the draws, are one of the appeals of tennis. You gotta play the hand you're dealt. I like the unpredictable nature of draws as opposed to a regimented stiff format.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Scoop, excellent job on the Murray practice. Murray said he wasn't going to be able to win the tournament - exactly what you said by watching him.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

scoopmalinowski writes:

Duke; thanks but it was pretty obvious Murrays body is worn out. Looks like all the long matches, long points, long training sessions, long sprinting sessiins at the track and beach have taken their inevitable tolls.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Chazz writes:

I don't understand the brackets. #70 Tiafoe and Federer are playing in fhe first round but then you also have #159 Tommy Paul and #118 Taro Daniel playing in the first round. Wouldn't it make more sense to be like other sports where the highest seeds play the lowest seeds in the first round? Seems like luck of the draw, which is a huge disadvantage to some players who you would think have earned easier first round opponents than they are getting.

In tennis, the draw is randomized. If they deterministically say seed 1 will play 4 in sf and 2 and 3 will play each other etc, then week after week we will be seeing the match ups. Since tennis tourneys happen every week and the seedings tend to remain fairly static, to avoid repeated matches between the same two players again and again, they randomize the draw. This applies to the entire draw (and not just SF).

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Duke Carnoustie writes:

Everyone complains about the draw and don't understand. I was shocked so many people complained that Fed and Nadal were on the same side; I think it's great because it increases the chances of their first meeting in NY. I like the way the draw works too. Sometimes you get bad luck, sometimes not but really after the second round of a Slam, there are no bad players.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Nishioka is a feisty player. Looking forward to his return.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Dan Markowitz writes:

Seriously, when you look at a list of the top NextGen'ers compiled by Todd Robinson of https://www.speedburneronsports.com/, besides Zverev and Shapovalo every single NextGen'er has been either ok or a big disappointment. Todd has Zverev no 1, then Khachanov, Chung, Donaldson, Medvedev, Rublev, Coric,Shapovalov, Tiafoe, and Escobedo rounding out Top 10. Chung has had some big wins, Goffin and Lopez in Canada, but then he seems to disappear. Khachanov is a quiet 10-6 since beating Izzy and Berdman at French, JD has done well at Canada and Cincy, but not a whole lot else. And that's the case with the rest of the group too. A good result here and there, but no real traction. Look at Escobedo, since reaching semis in Houston, he's gone 2-9. Besides AZ, there's no Pete Sampras in this group for sure. Coric has been possibly the most overhyped junior in the history of the game and it's fitting he was 1-4 before beating DY (another highly overhyped junior) and Izzy at Winston-Salem. If you look at the other American NexGen'ers, only Paul and Fritz have shown some light. Koz, MMnoh, Rubin, and Opelka have disappointed either largely or completely.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

jg writes:

I'm thinking Fritz is hitting his stride, all of them will be behind AZ and in a year or 2 it may be all Felix A. Hoping Tiafoe steps it up Tuesday night, a lot of up and Conners have played that first night big match at the open never to be heard from again ( I doubt that will happen to Tiafoe) but remember Scolville Jenkins played the first night match. Also I remember Alex Kim from Potomac MD played a big name player first round ( maybe Agassi) and never heard from him again in the pros.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

jg writes:

The week of the Open and Tommy Robredo and Jerzy Janowitz are playing a Challenger, I would think both could have made the qualifying but maybe they didn't have enough points? Just a few years ago Janowitz was one to watch this week at the Openn and many thought he could make a run.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Chazz writes:

Ok Ok guys. You changed my mind. It does make it interesting. It always seemed like it's 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 in the semifinals anyway but maybe I remembered wrongly.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Dan Markowitz writes:

Good call Jon. Jerzyboy and TommyWho both playing a challenger instead of USO qualis. That's pretty shocking. My fave matches tomorrow are: Shapovalov v Medvedev, Sandgren v Cilic, Darian King v A Zverev, Herbert v Izzy, Qball v Simon could be fun and fascinating, Tomic v Mueller, Eubanks v Sela, Kukushkin v Ferrer and Evan King v Carreno Busta. My upset pick of the first day is Simon beating Qball.

 

[TFBlogGuest]

Chazz writes:

That Shapo-Medvedev matchup might be the best of the day tomorrow. Donaldson should beat Basilashvili tomorrow - he beat him in Cincinnati though it was close. Fritz has a legitimate chance to beat Baghdatis on Tuesday. I don't think King has a chance against Zverev. I'll take Zverev or Nadal to win the whole thing. Cilic with an outside shot at another USO title but not sure if he's healthy.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

jg writes:

The week of the Open and Tommy Robredo and Jerzy Janowitz are playing a Challenger, I would think both could have made the qualifying but maybe they didn't have enough points? Just a few years ago Janowitz was one to watch this week at the Openn and many thought he could make a run.

Are you sure they made the cut for the quals? May be they did not make the cut. Robredo's current ranking is 175. The cut off is based on rankings a few weeks before. You must be within top 232 to make it to quals.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

I guess Robredo plans to keep competing for years if he's grinding in Challengers. Janowics had the PR last year and won a set from Djokovic in US Open first round last year but he hasn't been able to sustain steady results and so his ranking is low. I still remember Gimelstob saying on Tennis Channel that "the sky's the limit" for Janowicz because of his power and his outstanding movement but Janowicz has vastly underachieved since his Wimbledon SF in 2013 which was only his fifth time playing a Grand Slam event. JJ turns 27 in November.