Nishikori Spoils Rubin’s Homecoming With Another Win On His Comeback

Noah Rubin couldn’t have envisioned a better start during his homecoming on the ATP World Tour. The Long Island native, facing former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, broke and led 3-0 on Tuesday at the New York Open in Long Island. A win over Nishikori would have been among the biggest of Rubin’s young career.

But then Nishikori, who’s continuing his comeback from right-wrist surgery, ruined the party. The 28-year-old played steady tennis and came back to win his first tour-level match since 9 August (l. Monfils in Montreal) 7-5, 6-3 in New York.

“He started very well, very aggressive. Serving well. I think he played a little better than me in the first set. Second set I was playing a little better, a little more aggressive,” Nishikori said.

Nishikori has now won six matches in a row after reeling off five consecutively to win the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas, an ATP Challenger Tour event, earlier this month. “It helped me a lot for my confidence tennis-wise, and also was a big help for my wrist,” Nishikori said of the Challenger title.

Nishikori will next face Russian Evgeny Donskoy, who beat Dominican Victor Estrella Burgos 7-5, 6-1.

In other action, Spain’s Adrian Menendez-Maceiras saved five match points to beat home favourite and seventh seed Steve Johnson 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(7) and claim his fourth tour-level win. Johnson led 5-2 in the third set and had two match points on Menendez-Maceiras’ serve at 5-3. But the Spaniard erased them both, and three more consecutively from 3/6 down in the third-set tie-break.

The Spaniard will next meet Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who beat Italian qualifier Stefano Travaglia 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4.