Kei Nishikori is targetting a return to the Top 5 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this year. The Japanese star is currently 90-points behind No. 6-ranked David Ferrer and 645 points behind No. 5-ranked Rafael Nadal.

“I was very happy to be No. 4 last year, although I wasn’t there for a long time,” said Nishikori, who spent six weeks at No. 4 in August and September 2015. “That’s something I have to work on this year, to get into the Top 4 or 5. That will be a big challenge for me, because Novak [Djokovic] is playing amazing, Andy [Murray] is playing better and Roger [Federer] is playing great tennis again. It will be difficult to be there, but if I stay focused I think I have a chance to get there.”

This week, Nishikori is hoping to capture a fourth straight Memphis Open, where he has won 13 consecutive matches. His only loss came against Marcos Baghdatis in 2009.

“I’m really looking forward to playing,” he said. “This is one of my favourite tournaments, winning three years in a row, and I hope to win another one this year. I will try to play one match at a time and concentrate in order to play good tennis. I know it isn’t easy, but I have great confidence playing here and I like to spend time in Memphis. I will try to enjoy this week.”

Nishikori trained with wild card Tommy Paul, one of 13 Americans in the 28-player draw, earlier this week. He plays another American, Ryan Harrison, in his first match.

Gael Monfils launched the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in style on Monday as he played his part in a daring stunt in the city of Rotterdam.

The Frenchman, who is seeded fifth at the ATP World Tour 500 indoor hard-court tournament, took to the roof of a hotel to fire balls across the street to suspended stunt “ball kids”, who were dangling in front of a vertical tennis court.

“It was different, it was fun,” said Monfils. “It was cool that we tried something new. But they didn’t catch the ball, so I’m pretty disappointed! With the wind, it was tough for me to be precise, but I think it’s tough for them to catch it. But it was cool. It was a good try.”

Monfils was joined in the stunt by Tournament Director Richard Krajicek, who did manage to hit one of the balls into the outstretched hand of the ball kid. “I’m happy I’m on this side of the street, because there was talk that I would be there trying to catch the ball! It was great and a good way to start the tournament.”

Monfils opens his campaign on Tuesday evening against qualifier Ernests Gulbis.

Gilles Muller will take on second seed and 2014 runner-up Marin Cilic in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament second round after beating Andreas Seppi for the first time in their fourth tour-level meeting. Muller, who has already reached two ATP World Tour semi-finals this year, hit 19 aces to beat Seppi 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 in two hours and seven minutes on Tuesday. Last week, Muller lost to eventual champion Roberto Bautista Agut in the Sofia semi-finals.

Another player who performed well in the Bulgarian capital, Philipp Kohlschreiber, improved to 6-0 lifetime against Julien Benneteau with a 6-4, 6-4 win in 90 minutes. Benneteau, the 2013 finalist, struck 14 aces. Kohlschreiber goes onto face qualifier Ivan Dodig in the second round.

Elsewhere, 19-year-old Hyeon Chung battled past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. He’ll next face Sofia finalist and eighth seed Viktor Troicki or qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov.

Top seed Richard Gasquet withdrew from the ATP World Tour 500 tournament due to viral illness (flu) and was replaced in the main draw by lucky loser Evgeny Donskoy.

A host of past and present Argentine tennis greats gathered at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club on Monday to unveil the newly named Court Central Guillermo Vilas.

Argentina’s most decorated player, Vilas reached a career-high No.2 in the world in 1975 and won 62 ATP World Tour titles, including the Tour Finals in 1974. Vilas won four majors – the Australian Open in 1978 and 1979, as well as the French and US Opens in 1977.

“I have spent many years of my life in this club and I have played a lot of matches on this court. I would like to thank a lot of people who were very important to me throughout my career. Firstly, the person who made me into a tennis player – my first coach, Felipe Locicero,” Vilas said. “I would also like to thank my physio Carlos Belfonte, whose training allowed me to win at the Grand Slam level. I feel very happy and it is an honour to have this court named after me, and I’m very grateful”.

He was joined on court on Monday by current ATP World Tour player Juan Monaco and former greats, including Alberto Mancini, Guillermo Coria, Gaston Gaudio, Jose Luis Clerc and Martin Jaite as well as former WTA Tour players Paola Suarez, Gabriela Sabatini and Norma Baylon.