Back at No. 12 in the ATP Rankings, it’s easy to forget that Kei Nishikori began his season on the comeback trail. The Japanese star’s 2017 campaign came to an end in August, after losing in his first match at Montreal due to a wrist injury.

But Nishikori has found his form again, advancing to the final on Monte-Carlo’s clay before reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final and battling to the semi-finals of the US Open. The 28-year-old believes that his level is not far off from the tennis that carried him to a career-best World No. 4 in 2015.

“I think I’m right there,” Nishikori said on Sunday, ahead of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2018. “Getting to the semi-final of the US Open, I have to be 100 per cent. So I think I’m back at a great level again. I just have to keep 100 per cent every tournament, every match, and just keep being positive, keep my confidence there, and just enjoy playing the matches.”

Nishikori had almost no confidence at all. He began his season playing two ATP Challenger Tour events to get matches in, and fell as low as World No. 39, his lowest placement in the ATP Rankings since October 2011.

“When I was playing the first couple tournaments, Challengers and [ATP World Tour] 250s, I was struggling, of course. I couldn’t feel the rhythm and didn’t have any confidence. I knew it was going to take some time,” Nishikori said. “It took a little while to get my confidence back, playing 100 per cent again. But finally I had some good results… I’m really happy with what I’m doing this year even though I had a tough first couple of months after coming back from injury. Now I’m playing pretty good tennis, a pretty good level again. So I’m really happy I’m back in shape again.”

The No. 3 seed is well-positioned to continue on his positive trajectory this week at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2018. Nishikori has captured the title in Tokyo twice, and will certainly have the full support of the fans in Japan who will flock to the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in droves to catch a glimpse of their top-ranked player.

“Many good players come for this tournament and I’m sure a lot of guys are cheering for me, supporting me this week,” said Nishikori, who faces compatriot Yuichi Sugita in the first round. “I always enjoy playing in Japan. It’s something special. It’s only once or twice, a couple times a year I get to play in Japan, so I always enjoy it. Unfortunately I have to play a Japanese guy in the first round, but I hope I can enjoy this whole week.”

And by enjoying it and continuing to gain more confidence, Nishikori will be one of the favourites to triumph here, as he pursues his first tour-level title since Memphis in 2016.

It has been a long road for Yoshihito Nishioka. Exactly one year ago, the 23-year-old was at home, steadily making progress with his rehab after suffering a torn ACL.

Nishioka details the process as quite grueling, forcing him to draw upon all his physical and emotional fortitude. But as arduous as it has been, each victory tastes that much sweeter. 

On Sunday, Nishioka will hope to cap the greatest week of his young career with a maiden ATP World Tour title. The margins couldn’t have been closer as he edged Fernando Verdasco in a deciding tie-break, reaching his first tour-level final at the Shenzhen Open.

“It has been 10 months since I returned, but I think that is actually quick to get to this point,” said Nishioka following his semi-final win. “I’m really happy for this. I never reached a final before I got injured, so I think my level is better than ever. It’s no surprise to me, but I do feel lucky to get here.”

Nishioka is bidding to not only become the 11th first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this year, but do so as a qualifier. Six wins in seven days, including impressive victories over an in-form Denis Kudla, Denis Shapovalov and Cameron Norrie, have put the Japanese on the precipice of his maiden title.

Just four months ago, Nishioka was sitting at No. 362 in the ATP Rankings when he triumphed at the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Gimcheon, Korea. Now, he is looking to add an even bigger piece of silverware to his collection in Shenzhen. And perhaps the greatest prize of all: victory would see him return to the Top 100 for the first time in 14 months.

How is Nishioka putting it all together and thriving once again? He draws inspiration from his idols. Like former World No. 1 Marcelo Rios, the 5’7″ Nishioka is also under 6-feet tall and he admits that he models his game after the Chilean legend. In an era of big-hitting giants, there is something to be said for the diminutive fighter who utilizes his agility as a major weapon.

“When I was younger, I watched Marcelo Rios. When I went to the United States, I was training all the time at Nick Bolletieri’s academy and he told me I have to watch more of Rios. He is around the same height as me and he got to World No. 1, so I think I can make it. I can run more than him too.

“And for sure Kei is the biggest reason why we [the Japanese players] are doing so well. He made it to No. 4 and he showed us that we can be like that. Also, he’s not the tallest player. Many Japanese players play the Challengers to get a higher ATP Ranking, but we also have to play more ATP tournaments and Kei has showed us it is possible.”

Unstoppable! ???

Japanese qualifier @yoshihitotennis beats Verdasco 1-6 6-3 7-6(5) to move into his first ever ATP final.#shenzhenopen pic.twitter.com/YR9gtxwzBY

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 29, 2018

On Sunday, Nishioka will square off against Pierre-Hugues Herbert for the Shenzhen title. A first-time winner will be guaranteed when the Japanese and the Frenchman take to Center Court. Regardless of what transpires, Nishioka relishing the moment. 

“I know he has a good serve and likes to come to the net many times. He’s playing very aggressive. I think it’s very important for me to return well tomorrow. If I’m doing that, maybe he will have pressure on his service games and get nervous and make mistakes. I just have to get pressure on him.

“I’m very excited for this moment. I was not thinking I could reach the final when I was in qualifying. But this is very exciting for me, to be in my first final. I know there will be pressure tomorrow, but I will try to do my best.”

In 2017, Juan Martin del Potro and Alexander Zverev produced a three-set classic at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. One year later, the Top 5 stars will hope history repeats itself on Chinese soil.

Del Potro and Zverev lead the pack at next week’s China Open in Beijing, with plenty at stake for both players in the ATP Race To London. At third and fifth, respectively, the Argentine (4,910 points) and the German (4,365 points) are bidding to make significant statements as they continue their quests to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. A final encounter in Beijing could go a long way to determining their fate.

Del Potro will be competing in his first tournament as a 30-year-old when he takes to the National Tennis Centre in the Chinese capital. Fresh off a final run at the US Open, he is making his second appearance at the ATP World Tour 500 event. He opens against Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas and could face either Karen Khachanov or Sam Querrey in the second round.

Other seeds in the Tandil native’s half of the draw are fourth seed Fabio Fognini, seventh seed Borna Coric and eighth seed Marco Cecchinato. Fognini is playing the best tennis of his career and will be seeking his fourth title of the season on Sunday at the Chengdu Open. His countryman Cecchinato opens against the lone former champion in the draw – Marcos Baghdatis.

View Draw

While the ATP Race To London is heating up, the ATP Race To Milan is also nearing a thrilling conclusion. Currently in seventh place, Andrey Rublev is the only contender in the Beijing draw and could face Fognini in the second round. But first, the Next Gen ATP Finals contender will have to navigate a tough opener against Portuguese No. 1 Joao Sousa.

Meanwhile, Zverev faces an equally tricky path in the bottom half. Roberto Bautista Agut awaits in the first round in what will be their fifth FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter (tied 2-2). Chinese teen Wu Yibing is a potential second-round opponent, with third seed Grigor Dimitrov and fifth seed Kyle Edmund also looming large.

One year removed from appearing in his first ATP World Tour event at the Chengdu Open, Yibing is making his tournament debut in Beijing. He remains in search of his first tour-level match win, but will be bolstered by a strong performance against fellow teen Felix Auger-Aliassime this week in Chengdu.

In other action, Dimitrov is hoping for a late-season surge to keep his hopes of defending his Nitto ATP Finals crown alive. The 2016 finalist in Beijing opens against Ryan Harrison.

Main draw play at the China Open kicks off on Monday.

If you’re looking for excitement at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2018, you won’t have to wait long. There are plenty of tantalising first-round matchups in Tokyo, led by a clash between 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals winner Hyeon Chung and #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

Two of the brightest talents in the sport will clash for the second time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, after Chung triumphed in the round-robin stage at Milan last November.

The South Korean will try to continue what has been a successful season, backing up his success at Fiera Milano by reaching the quarter-finals at nine of his 13 tour-level events in 2018. The 22-year-old cracked the Top 20 in April, and is currently the World No. 19. Shapovalov has also stood out, claiming 30 match wins so far this season, including a run to the Mutua Madrid Open semi-finals.

It won’t get any easier for the winner, as Chung or Shapovalov will face either former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and #NextGenATP American Taylor Fritz, who advanced to the semi-finals at the Chengdu Open. Wawrinka has shown signs of his top form during his comeback from two knee surgeries, beating reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov twice and making the last four at last week’s St. Petersburg Open.

The top seed, Marin Cilic, will begin his event against German Jan-Lennard Struff. In their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head clash, at Sydney in 2014, the Croatian was victorious in three sets. He will look to continue his recent success in Tokyo, where the World No. 6 has reached the semi-finals the past two years.

The second seed is Kevin Anderson, who at No. 8 in the ATP Race To London is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The South African, who won the New York Open, advanced to the Wimbledon final and has made the semi-finals at two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events (Madrid, Toronto) this year, opens against Aussie Matthew Ebden. The first seed he can face is No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet.

The home fans will be out in force to cheer on two-time Tokyo champion Kei Nishikori, who is making a push to rejoin the Top 10 once again. The Japanese superstar has won seven of his past nine matches, including an impressive effort at the US Open, where he reached the semi-finals. Third-seeded Nishikori plays compatriot Yuichi Sugita in the first round and he can eventually clash against fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals.

Another interesting first-rounder pits recent Moselle Open champion Gilles Simon against #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur. Simon has enjoyed a resurgent campaign, climbing from No. 89 in the ATP Rankings at the start of the year to No. 29. De Minaur owned just two tour-level match wins prior to 2018, but he has quickly shown his readiness for this level by reaching two ATP World Tour finals (Sydney and Washington, D.C.).