Colosseum in Ariake Tennis Park could have been named Nishioka World Monday evening.

That’s because the Tokyo crowd urged Japanese No. 2 Yoshihito Nishioka to a 7-5, 6-3 victory against Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the first round of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. It marks Nishioka’s first victory here on his fourth attempt.

“This is my first win in this event, so I’m very happy for this,” Nishioka said. “Not many big tournaments have [a crowd like] here. This is the biggest tournament in Japan, so I’m very happy to play good tennis for many fans. I feel very good.”

Sousa broke at 4-4 in the opener to earn a chance to serve for the first set. But Nishioka maintained his focus, claiming his first two breaks of the match to take the set and with it, the momentum.

“The many people helped me, they gave me the power. That’s a very big reason for me playing my best tennis today,” Nishioka said. “I had a little bit of pressure on me, but many people cheered for me, so I think the home crowd was very special for a moment like this.”

Nishioka will next play fifth seed Lucas Pouille, who ousted Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round of the ATP 500 tournament on his Tokyo debut. Pouille had trailed Hurkacz 0-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but he got his revenge to break even with a 19-19 record on the season.

Pouille has shown flashes of strong form on hard courts throughout the year, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the Moselle Open, as well as the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open.

The 25-year-old used his dominant first serve to power his way to a one-hour, 14-minute victory, winning 83 per cent of his first-serve points in the match. He also did well to work his way into Hurkacz’s service games, earning eight break points across the two sets.

Did You Know?
Pouille has captured one of his five ATP Tour titles at the ATP 500-level. In 2017, the Frenchman triumphed at the Erste Bank Open.

No. 22, Alex de Minaur, +9
The #NextGenATP Australian picked up his third ATP Tour trophy of the season at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships. De Minaur, who has also lifted titles in Sydney and Atlanta this year, defeated John Millman, former World No. 1 Andy Murray, fourth seed Borna Coric and second seed Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the championship match in Zhuhai. Following his final victory against Adrian Mannarino, the 20-year-old leaps nine spots to No. 22 in the ATP Race To London. Read Final Report.

No. 10, Gael Monfils, +2
The Frenchman enters the Top 10 in the ATP Race To London after reaching the quarter-finals in Zhuhai. Monfils defeated Cameron Norrie in three sets at the inauguaral edition of the ATP 250 event, before falling to Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain. The 2016 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier is just 60 points behind Matteo Berrettini, who currently occupies the eighth and final qualification position.

No. 31, Pablo Carreno Busta, +17
The 28-year-old captured his first ATP Tour crown since May 2017 following five straight victories at the Chengdu Open. Carreno Busta overcame Radu Albot, Benoit Paire, Cristian Garin and Denis Shapovalov to reach the championship match, where he outlasted Alexander Bublik in a final-set tie-break victory. The Spaniard, who appeared as an alternate at the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, soars 17 spots to No. 31 in the ATP Race To London. Read Final Report.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 41, Alexander Bublik, +14
No. 51, Adrian Mannarino, +12
No. 75, Mikael Ymer, +16
No. 85, Tommy Paul, +11
No. 98, Damir Dzumhur, +10

The ATP Tour travels to the capital cities of China and Japan for the second week of the Asian Swing. The China Open and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships offer players the opportunity to earn up to 500 ATP Rankings points in the ATP Race To London and the ATP Race To Milan.

Five Top 10 stars — including Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev — headline in Beijing, while World No. 1 Novak Djokovic prepares for his tournament debut in Tokyo alongside Borna Coric and David Goffin.

Beijing Talking Points

Andy Murray joins defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili as the former titlists in the China Open field. Murray, who defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the 2016 Beijing final, claimed his second tour-level singles victory of the year – and his first since the first week of the year in Brisbane – by defeating Tennys Sandgren in Zhuhai last week. That avenged a loss to the American in Murray’s prior ATP Tour singles match, at Winston-Salem in August. Murray lost in the second round in Zhuhai to eventual champion Alex de Minaur.

No. 1 seed Dominic Thiem is seeking his first victory in a single-elimination main draw since a third-round win against Marin Cilic at the Coupe Rogers in August. Since that match, Thiem is 2-4 at tour-level, with the two wins coming at team events: Davis Cup group play and Laver Cup.

Read Beijing Draw Preview

Three of the Top 5 players in the ATP Race To Milan are in the Beijing main draw: Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 1), Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 2), and Frances Tiafoe (No. 5). Tsitsipas has already qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals and currently occupies sixth position in the ATP Race To London, which determines the eight qualifiers for the Nitto ATP Finals.

2016 runner-up Dimitrov jumped from No. 78 to No. 25 in the ATP Rankings after his run to the US Open semi-finals last month. The Bulgarian would claim his 300th career tour-level win if he defeats Andrey Rublev in the first round on Monday.

Tokyo Talking Points

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is making his first appearance at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships this year. Djokovic is aiming to win a title in a tournament debut for the 10th time in his career.

David Goffin is the lone former champion in the draw. He has made the final in both of his previous appearances, falling to Nick Kyrgios in the 2016 championship match before defeating Adrian Mannarino for the title in 2017. The Belgian is 9-1 overall in Tokyo.

#NextGenATP Australian Alex de Minaur comes into Tokyo fresh from winning his third singles title of the year in Zhuhai on Sunday. The 20-year-old lost his first two ATP Tour singles finals last year, but has gone 3-0 in finals this season, also hoisting trophies in Atlanta and in his hometown of Sydney.

Read Tokyo Draw Preview

For the second week in a row, #NextGenATP contender Miomir Kecmanovic will face a fellow 20-year-old in the first round of an ATP Tour event. Last week in Zhuhai, Kecmanovic advanced past Casper Ruud; this week, the Serb will meet Denis Shapovalov in the opening round. Shapovalov is currently No. 4 in the ATP Race To Milan, while Kecmanovic is No. 7. (De Minaur is No. 3 and Ruud is No. 6).

Ben McLachlan is the two-time defending doubles champion in Tokyo. The 27-year-old won his first ATP Tour doubles title in 2017 alongside Yasutaka Uchiyama and then captured the crown again last year with Jan-Lennard Struff. McLachlan pairs with Luke Bambridge this year, as he goes for the hat trick with three different partners.

Novak Djokovic made his Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships debut on Monday at Ariake Tennis Park — on the doubles court — but it did not go according to plan.

Croat Mate Pavic and Brazilian Bruno Soares, the fourth seeds, advanced to the second round in Tokyo with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 victory against Djokovic and his fellow Serbian, Filip Krajinovic. Soares captured the title at this ATP 500 event seven years ago alongside Austrian Alexander Peya.

It was an impressive effort by Djokovic and Krajinovic to rally for a Match Tie-break, though. The Serbians capitalised on both break points they earned in the second set to force a decider, but it was not enough.

“That is tasty.” ?

Super stuff from @DjokerNole ?

?: @TennisTV | @rakutenopen pic.twitter.com/66woIK8QtJ

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) September 30, 2019

In the finale, Pavic and Soares caught fire on their return of serve, winning five of seven points on their opponents’ serves. They are seeking their first championship crown as a team.

Pavic and Soares will next face Brit Dominic Inglot and American Austin Krajicek, who defeated the sixth-placed team in the ATP Doubles Team Race To London, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, 6-1, 6-3.

Inglot and Krajicek have captured ATP Tour titles this season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Atlanta, and they were not broken against the Dutch-Romanian tandem. Inglot and Krajicek won 78 per cent of their first-serve points en route to their 56-minute victory.

At the China Open in Beijing, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski prevailed 6-4, 7-6(6) in their opening-round match against Argentines Guido Pella and Diego Schwartzman. Pella/Schwartzman served for the second set at 5-4, but Murray/Skupski rallied to advance in one hour and 35 minutes.

Did You Know?
Djokovic has captured one ATP Tour doubles title, triumphing at Queen’s Club in 2010 alongside Jonathan Erlich.

Russian Andrey Rublev continued his top form on Monday at the China Open in Beijing, easing into the second round with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian was bidding for his 300th tour-level singles win.

Rublev won 76 per cent of his first-serve points (26/34) and broke Dimitrov twice in each set to advance in 75 minutes. The 21-year-old has won 12 of his past 16 matches and is now tied 2-2 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Dimitrov. Next up for Rublev is sixth-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini or Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin.

Monday’s schedule also features second-seeded German Alexander Zverev taking on American Frances Tiafoe and fourth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov squaring off against Uruguayan qualifier Pablo Cuevas.

A LOOK BACK
Open d’Orleans (Orleans, France): After more than seven years, Sweden is back in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. Mikael Ymer broke through on one of the biggest stages on the ATP Challenger Tour, streaking to the title in Orleans in stunning fashion.

Ymer did not drop a set all week, blitzing a stacked field that included seven players inside the Top 100. Now, the 21-year-old has joined the elite club. He makes his Top 100 debut on Monday after clinching his third Challenger crown, rising to a career-high No. 83.

“I’m still on a high,” said Ymer. “I need to shower and rest before it all settles in. This is crazy. It’s definitely the best week of my life. I will always remember Orleans. I took a wild card last minute and I’m very, very happy to have the trophy.

“I love the French crowd. Everywhere I go – Roland Garros, Cassis, Bordeaux, here, they all support me. They make me feel like I’m from France, so I’m very grateful.”

Ladies and gentlemen, we present the 2019 @opendorleans champion…@MikaelYmer!!! ?? pic.twitter.com/2amIb6Z5nT

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 29, 2019

With the Challenger 125 event boasting one of the strongest draws of the year, Ymer showed his mettle. On Friday, he upset defending champion Aljaz Bedene, ending the Slovenian’s 27-match Challenger win streak. On Saturday, he earned the biggest win of his young career over World No. 39 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. And on Sunday, he dismissed home hope Gregoire Barrere 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 19 minutes for the title. Ymer dug deep when he needed it most, saving all five break points faced in the semis and final.

In front of a packed crowd at the Palais des Sports, the #NextGenATP star lifted the champion’s painting. One of the most unique trophies on tour, the winner in Orleans is awarded a work of art by a local French painter.

This year, the Parisian artist ‘Oji’ depicts a blue tennis court on the banks of the Loire River in Orleans, with a heron standing over the balls. The colors of the court evoke the sky and river banks.

The victory was Ymer’s third title of the year, adding to triumphs in Noumea and Tampere. With trophies on clay and both indoor and outdoor hard, he becomes the first to achieve the trifecta in a single season since Maximilian Marterer in 2017.

But, most importantly, Ymer etched his name in the history books with his Top 100 breakthrough. He becomes the first from Sweden to feature in the club since Robin Soderling in May 2012. A strong contender to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, he also rises to ninth in the ATP Race To Milan.

Challenger Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina): Just one month ago, Sumit Nagal was standing on Arthur Ashe Stadium, under the lights on Day 1 of the US Open. His opponent: Roger Federer. Facing the opportunity of a lifetime, the qualifier from India would show what the stars of the ATP Challenger Tour have to offer, taking the first set against the former World No. 1 before eventually succumbing.

Nagal has since carried the momentum back to the Challenger circuit. Riding a wave of confidence following his Grand Slam debut, the 22-year-old lifted the trophy on the clay of Buenos Aires on Sunday. He defeated home hope Facundo Bagnis 6-4, 6-2 for the title. After fighting through a trio of deciding sets to open the week, Nagal dropped a combined seven games in the semis and final.

“It is my first time in Argentina and in Buenos Aires,” said Nagal. “I decided to come here because there were not many tournaments in Europe, and I thought I could do well. I’ve started in the best way and this brings me closer to being able to get into the Top 100.

“I was very confident in the match with Federer in the US Open and when a player is confident, everything changes. Tennis is like this, you can become unbeatable.”

It was Nagal’s second Challenger crown and first in nearly two years. It is a fitting conclusion to an impressive month of September, which saw him also reach the final in Banja Luka. Up to a career-high No. 135 in the ATP Rankings, the Top 100 is drawing closer for the Jhajjar native.

First Republic Tiburon Challenger (Tiburon, California, USA): Tommy Paul claimed his third Challenger title of the year, prevailing on Sunday in Tiburon. He outlasted Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 in two hours and 46 minutes, adding to victories in Sarasota and New Haven.

More on Paul’s title…

The week in Tiburon will also be remembered for a pair of magical escape acts by Thai-Son Kwiatkowski. The former University of Virginia standout rallied from a set and a double-break down on Thursday, before again storming back from a double-break deficit on Friday. He saved hree match points to reach the semi-finals.

Firenze Tennis Cup (Florence, Italy): One year after finishing runner-up in the tournament’s inaugural edition, Marco Trungelliti finally wrapped his arms around the trophy in Florence. The Argentine defeated Pedro Sousa 6-2, 6-3 for the title on Sunday, capping a week that saw him save two match points in the quarter-finals and rally from a set and a break down in the semis.

There’s nothing like celebrating a title with family, and with his mother and brother in attendance, Trungelliti made the most of the opportunity. He notched his second career title and first in more than a year.

A LOOK AHEAD
Three tournaments, three continents. #NextGenATP star Corentin Moutet arrives in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, as the top seed, flanked by veterans Evgeny Donskoy and Malek Jaziri.

In Campinas, Brazil, it will be Nagal looking to go back-to-back on South American soil. Hugo Dellien leads the field.

And at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, reigning champion Roberto Carballes Baena returns as the top seed. Fellow Spaniards Jaume Munar and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also headline.

The rise of Tommy Paul continues. Exactly one year ago, the American was sitting outside the Top 300 of the ATP Rankings, fighting to find his form. On Monday, he will be the new World No. 81 after lifting the trophy in Tiburon.

Paul survived an instant classic against Thanasi Kokkinakis in Sunday’s final. The 22-year-old triumphed 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 in two hours and 46 minutes, converting five of 12 break chances.
With the wind howling across the Peninsula Club throughout the day, both players were forced to make plenty of adjustments. They would manage the conditions well, blasting winners off both wings and delighting the packed crowd in the San Francisco suburb. And despite relinquishing a set and a break lead, Paul came up clutch in the critical moments, eventually breaking to love for the title.

The North Carolina native made his Top 100 debut earlier this month with a title in New Haven and he would continue his ascent with a third crown of the year. He also celebrated a clay-court victory in Sarasota in April.

Paul is undoubtedly one of the top performers on the Challenger circuit this year, boasting a 27-4 record. That impressive .870 win percentage is good for third among tour leaders.

It’s @TommyPaul1‘s world. We’re just living in it.

Title No. 3 for the ?? this year, outlasting Kokkinakis 75 67(3) 64 for the Tiburon ? pic.twitter.com/wlrVW3zhsb

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 30, 2019

The American spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation following the victory in Tiburon…

Tommy, congratulations. Your third Challenger title of 2019. It was a crazy match with that wind. How were the both of you making adjustments through that match?
It was definitely a big factor in the match. The first set and a half, because of the wind, I don’t think either of us felt like we were playing well at all. For me, it just made serving a lot harder. Making your first serve and then doing something with it, was incredibly hard today. You have to toss really low, because the wind will take it if you throw it up. But when you’re hitting good serves with a low toss, the trajectory doesn’t work. That was the biggest thing for me.

Midway through the second, I picked up my level. And after he saw that, he really picked up his own level. I tried to even that out in the tie-break, in case we went to a third set, to let him know that I’m there for a decider. The wind actually died down in the third and we played some really good tennis then.

I don’t know if you win that match a couple years ago.
I definitely know that I wouldn’t have won that match a couple years ago.

But the fact that you got that first title in Charlottesville just a year ago, has that changed the way you approach finals now?
I took a different approach in Charlottesville last year. I have many friends that go to the University of Virginia, but I was staying by myself during the tournament and was in a hotel without other players. It was a boring week, but it worked for me. No distractions and just bouncing between the courts and the hotel. I’ve kind of done the same thing here in Tiburon. Just relaxing and not going out. It’s working for me.

You’re sitting here sipping a beer after a long week and you mentioned you’ve been enjoying the red wine during the tournament. The pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to you anymore and it’s freeing you up to just relax on the court.
I feel like once you get to the end of the year, everyone copes with it in different ways. Some people want to get more professional and do more in the gym. For me, that would just wear me out. I’m still going to the gym and doing everything I need to, but luckily I’ve been last match of the day all week. When I wake up, I was doing the right things for a few hours before my match and then get ready. That’s what works for me. I don’t see why not.

2019 Challenger Title Leaders

How do you structure the rest of the year now? With this title in the books, you essentially defended the points from Charlottesville.
That’s something I need to have a conversation with my coach about. And my trainer. Just to see how my body is holding up. I’ve been feeling the back of my shoulder a bit this week. It’s just tight playing in the cold weather.

I’m definitely going to play the ATPs in Stockholm and Vienna. I’ll play the qualies there for sure. I want to stop the year early and take a lot of time off.

When in Tokyo, Novak goes sumo.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is in Japan to compete at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships for the first time. And the top seed took full advantage of the country’s culture on Monday by visiting Ryogoku Edo-Noren, a facility with restaurants that features a dohyo, a sumo wrestling ring.

Djokovic not only got an opportunity to watch retired professional sumo wrestlers during their ‘keiko’ — or morning practice — but he also stepped up on the dohyo to learn some of the moves himself.

“It’s a great experience. I’ve never had this experience before. It’s one of the most popular sports in Japan,” Djokovic said. “Speaking with my father yesterday on the phone I was telling him that I’m going to have an opportunity to meet sumo wrestlers. He and I were remembering many years ago at home [when] we used to watch Akebono Yokozuna, who was someone that we supported a lot.”

Djokovic was in awe of the sumo wrestlers, even playfully seeing if he can make one of them budge. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. They also taught the World No. 1 seiko and suri-ashi among other sumo moves.

“I felt that I am out of shape [for sumo] a little bit. I think with a few more kilos, I’ll be ready to compete,” Djokovic joked. “Probably three times as much as I have right now would be the right measurement for me to compete.”

The 75-time tour-level titlist paid great respect to the professionals, taking in their technique and power on the dohyo. But that wasn’t all that impressed Djokovic.

“It’s quite impressive to see also how flexible they are. I believe at the beginning they were demonstrating their flexibility,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t think that they were that flexible considering it’s a heavyweight sport, but I see that they are paying a lot of attention to the mobility of their joints and the flexibility, which is of course what allows them to move around as agile as possible at their weight.”

Now, Djokovic will turn his attention to the tennis court as he prepared for this ATP 500 tournament. Later Monday, the Serbian will partner countryman Filip Krajinovic in the doubles against Croat Mate Pavic and Brazilian Bruno Soares. In the singles draw, the World No. 1’s first opponent is #NextGenATP Australian Alexei Popyrin.

“I’m not going to have that kind of encounter with my opponents on the court,” Djokovic said. “We are going to be separated with a net and racquets, but it is a one-on-one sport, so there is something there.”

Only two men in the past 29 years have conquered the Mount Everest of converting break points in a single season by winning more than they lose. Novak Djokovic is currently tantalisingly close to becoming the third.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of break points converted identifies that Djokovic has won 49.41 per cent (209/423) of his break points in 49 matches so far in 2019. It represents a big leap forward from his performance in this area in 2018, where he won only 39.87 per cent (246/617) from 65 matches.

What will it take for Djokovic to reach the magic 50 per cent marker? Win the next five break points he sees, which will put him at 214 of 428 – exactly 50 per cent.

When Djokovic won the 2019 Australian Open, he won exactly 50 per cent (42/84) of break points. When he won the Mutua Madrid Open in May, he was at 66.7 per cent (10/15) break points converted. In winning Wimbledon for a fifth time this year, he was not far off his average, winning 46.8 per cent (37/79) of break points.

The career single-season record holder in this metric is Italian Filippo Volandri, who blew it out of the water in 2004, winning 53.13 per cent (212/399) of break points in 53 matches. Volandri won the ATP Tour title in St. Poelten that year, winning 53.7 per cent (29/53) of break points for the tournament.

Filippo Volandri At 2004 St. Poelten

It’s interesting to note that Volandri and Djokovic crossed paths only once, at the 2004 Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Volandri won the first-round meeting 7-6(5), 6-1.

The other player to win north of 50 per cent of break points is former No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten, who won 50.11 per cent (234/467) from 75 matches in 1999.

Kuerten won two ATP Masters 1000 titles that year – the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He was dominant on break points in taking the Monte-Carlo title, winning a jaw-dropping 60.5 per cent (23/38).

Djokovic currently trails Rafael Nadal by 1,960 points in the ATP Race To London. If the Serbian is to repeat as year-end No. 1, converting break points at his current clip will be a key factor.

1991-2019: Season Leader Break Points Converted

Editor’s note: Craig O’Shannessy is a member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team.

One year ago, two-time Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships semi-finalist Marin Cilic was stunned in the first round of Tokyo’s ATP 500 event. On Monday, the Croat will get a chance to get off to a better start in Japan as he pursues his first trophy at Ariake Tennis Park.

Cilic, an 18-time tour-level champion, will begin his run against an opponent whom he has never played: home favourite Yuichi Sugita. Cilic, the sixth seed, is currently No. 28 in the ATP Rankings — his lowest standing since June 2014 — but he will see this as an opportunity to push back towards the top of the sport, having ascended as high as World No. 3.

The 30-year-old has won multiple matches at three of his past four tournaments, including a run to the fourth round of the US Open, where he lost to eventual titlist Rafael Nadal. Cilic owns a 9-6 record in Tokyo.

Nishioka is trying to earn his first victory in Tokyo. He has shown good form in the past couple of months, making the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as a qualifier. In the final round of qualifying there, he defeated Sousa in three sets.

Sousa, on the other hand, carries plenty of momentum into the match. The Portuguese No. 1 made the semi-finals in St. Petersburg and the quarter-finals in Chengdu in consecutive weeks. Sousa made the last eight in Tokyo three years ago.

Another Japanese wild card, Go Soeda, will kick off main draw action against big-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff. The winner will face World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Struff will carry good memories of Tokyo into the match, as he eliminated Cilic last year. The 29-year-old is trying to earn his 30th tour-level victory of the season. If Struff defeats Soeda, it would be the first time he accomplishes the feat.

The last match on Colosseum features South Korea’s Hyeon Chung and Italian Lorenzo Sonego. On Rakuten Card Arena, 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Hubert Hurkacz carries a 2-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead into his battle against fifth seed Lucas Pouille.

Djokovic Begins Doubles Run
Djokovic, who is making his Tokyo debut, will begin his run in the doubles draw. The Serbian and his countryman Filip Krajinovic will face fourth seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares. In other doubles action, Dominic Inglot and Austin Krajicek will battle Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.