One year ago Yoshihito Nishioka lost in the first round of the Australian Open. It was his lowest low.

The Japanese lefty was struggling to find motivation and fell to No. 123 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Nishioka was prepared to call it a career.

“Last year was like a nightmare,” Nishioka told ATPTour.com. “My ranking dropped [to] around 120 or something, but then I got a feeling like ‘Oh, I cannot come back anymore [to the] Top 50.’ I said in two years I will retire if I cannot make it. Then the Japanese fans were very surprised with that. It was real, I was thinking like that.”

Nishioka told himself he would focus for two years to try to make the most of his tennis.

“If it doesn’t work, if [I’m not] successful, then I will quit,” Nishioka recalled himself thinking. “After a couple months, I was doing very well and then I got the confidence. Then I got a new coach and he supported me a lot, others [on the] team also [were] very supportive. Now, I’m finally around Top 30.”

One year after contemplating retirement at the Australian Open, Nishioka made personal history Friday. The 27-year-old advanced to the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time and climbed to No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

“Last year I was here, I almost was like, ‘I’m done’,” Nishioka said. “I’m very surprised I’m feeling very, very opposite in just a year.”

So what has changed in a year? Nishioka’s attitude, for one. The Japanese star admitted that in the past he would let his emotions get to him during matches.

“I was thinking okay, what’s the best way? Don’t show emotions?” Nishioka said. “I tried it, but for me, I don’t feel great.”

The lefty decided to harness his emotions to power his game.

“I don’t know why, but I played very well. I have a feeling when I have a little bit of a mentality of [using my emotions], I feel very focussed on the match and that’s coming because I want to win,” Nishioka said. “So now I found if I want to win, I need to [get emotional]. But I need to control for sure. Like Novak or like Andy Murray. He’s saying something to the coaches, sounds a little bit upset every point but he’s very on point. Like even Djokovic.

“When you can control the mentality like that, I think it’s very good for me as well. But a couple years ago I couldn’t control [it]. When I was getting upset, I was just upset and I was going crazy. But now I can control how to [get] upset and how to focus on how to beat someone. That’s a big difference I think.”

The turning point came last August in Washington, where Nishioka battled through a difficult draw — Jenson Brooksby, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov, Daniel Evans and Andrey Rublev — to reach the biggest final of his career. The Japanese player has been on the rise since. Later in the year, he began working with a new coach, Christian Zahalka.

“I wasn’t thinking I could be like this before I made the final there. After that, I got a new coach and won the Seoul [ATP] 250, which jumped my ranking up as well,” Nishioka said. “We are still working together and I’m still having good results, in Adelaide and here as well, which is very helpful.”

He added: “I’m very happy for this and I’m really happy to decide that I’m working with him. I believe I can [improve] my ranking and I believe I can make better results for other tournaments as well, so I have great confidence.”

The best players in the world are often known for their strongest shots, whether a booming serve, stunning forehand or rock-solid backhand. The 5’7” Nishioka is known for something else, though, according to Australian Rinky Hijikata.

“Clearly he is not the biggest guy. Neither am I. He is very, very good at finding ways to win and making guys feel uncomfortable on the court, and I think that’s one of his biggest strengths,” Hijikata said. “He is an unbelievable mover, defends really well, and just makes life really miserable for guys out there.”

Nishioka played doubles alongside countryman Ben Mclachlan on Saturday. Although they lost, Mclachlan had plenty of praise for his partner.

“He is just the man. He is playing really well,” Mclachlan said, cracking a smile. “It’s fun to watch him play. I always enjoy watching him play. I mean, the guy doesn’t miss. He is just so quick.”

As much of a turnaround Nishioka has made over the past year, it can get even better over the next week. On Sunday, the lefty will play 18th seed Karen Khachanov for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I have confidence right now. I got seeded here [for the] first time. I’m playing very well, so I’m believing I can play like great players,” said the 31st seed. “Still I’m in the Round of 16, I want to make the quarter-finals or more if I can.

“It’s going to be tough for sure, but I believe I have a chance. I think I can play, so from now I will try my best.”

The last time Andy Murray exited the Australian Open at the hands of Roberto Bautista Agut, there was speculation that the former World No. 1 had made his final appearance at Melbourne Park. Skip ahead four years to the Scot’s four-set defeat to the Spaniard Saturday and Murray’s immediate playing future looks brighter as a 35-year-old than it did when he was 31.

Although Murray understandably showed some fatigue against RBA after coming into the match following back-to-back five sets wins – including a five-hour, 45 minute epic against Thanasi Kokkinakis that finished after 4 a.m. Friday, the five-time Australian Open finalist appears to be in good physical condition for a man who has undergone back surgery, two hip surgeries and who has played 954 tour-level matches.

“You never know exactly when the end is going to be,” said Murray, who underwent a second hip surgery after the Australian Open in 2019. “I would like to go out playing tennis like this, where I’m competing with the best players in the world in the biggest events and doing myself justice.

“There were maybe times the last year or so where I didn’t really feel like I was playing well, and I didn’t enjoy the way that I was playing. Those sacrifices and that effort that I put in allowed me to get through those matches and play at a high level that I think was entertaining for the people watching.

“I felt good about the way that I was playing. It’s more enjoyable for me when I’m playing like that, when I’m coming into a major event and really believing that I can do some damage.”

A winner of two Wimbledon titles and the US Open in 2012, Murray said that he can make the second week of the majors.

“I can have a deeper run than the third round of a Slam, there’s no question about that,” he said. “Obviously draws can open up for you. I need to also help myself with that. If I was playing at this level last year, I probably wouldn’t be ranked 50, 60 in the world. It’s up to me to try and change that.”

Murray, who ends the Open at No. 62 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, recounted his recovery from the Kokkinakis match, the longest of his career. It was also the 11th time he had rallied from two sets down to win, a record among active players.

“I slept from 6 until 9 the morning I played the match with Kokkinakis, which obviously isn’t enough,” he said with understatement and a smile. “Then I had to come in here. I had about seven or eight blisters that I had to have drained and then he put this liquid in to dry it. I had to come in in the morning to give that time to settle.

“Then I went back to the hotel, slept for a few hours, and then hit for, like, 15 minutes yesterday. Yeah, just the ice baths, saw my physio.

“My feet didn’t feel great. My legs were actually okay. They weren’t too bad. But I was struggling with my lower back. That was affecting my serve. That was really the main thing that I was struggling with today.”

Murray’s next event will be the ATP 500 ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, beginning 13 February.

Home favourite Alex de Minaur equalled his best result at the Australian Open Saturday when he cruised past Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-1 to reach the fourth round for a second consecutive year.

After winning a tight first set, in which he twice squandered break advantages, the Australian pulled away, committing just 12 unforced errors in the second and third sets combined to seal victory after two hours and 10 minutes.

With his fourth victory of the season, De Minaur now leads Bonzi 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. He will look to keep his run going when he takes on nine-time champion Novak Djokovic or 27th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

The 23-year-old’s best result at a major came at the US Open in 2020, when he advanced to the quarter-finals.

De Minaur’s countryman Alexei Popyrin meets #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton later on Saturday. If Popyrin wins, it will be the first time since 2015 that two Australian men have reached the fourth round in Melbourne. Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios achieved the feat eight years ago.

In other action, Tommy Paul wasted little time in reaching the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time. The American overcame countryman Jenson Brooksby 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 to set up a clash against five-time finalist Andy Murray or Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

Paul, who is up to No. 33 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, struck 34 winners and saved all four break points he faced to seal victory after two hours and nine minutes. With his win, the 25-year-old has equalled his best Grand Slam result, having advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.

Brooksby upset second seed Casper Ruud en route to the third round, but was unable to find the same level against Paul, who now leads the 22-year-old 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Andrey Rublev unleashed a torrent of hard-hitting winners against Briton Daniel Evans Saturday to muscle his way into the fourth round of the Australian Open. The fifth seed clocked triple the number of winners (60-20) than his opponent en route to a dominant 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win.

Evans, a gritty opponent who can get under the skin of even the most unflappable players, had proven a difficult challenge for the combustible Rublev in six prior meetings, which the players had evenly split.

But on Thursday Rublev mixed devastating first-strike tennis with one of his stronger mental performances as he denied Evans a path into the match. Hitting a Serve+1 forehand 90% of the time, Rublev dominated points of 0-4 shots, winning 66 to Evans’ 44.

Not even an act of kindness from Evans could soften up the 25-year-old, who recently passed $15m in career earnings. Early in the match when Evans heard Rublev call for a banana, he tossed one to his opponent.

“I didn’t ask him for it, but I asked a ball boy. He had two so he threw one to me and I caught it. It helped with some energy,” Rublev said with a smile.

Sharing bananas on court is a definite first 🍌😂@AndreyRublev97 & Dan Evans • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/kgQAJoplXS

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2023

Having already moved to No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings to tie his career-high mark, Rublev will next face the winner of ninth seed Holger Rune and Frenchman Ugo Humbert as he shrugs off what had been a slow start to the year.

After two opening-round defeats to Roberto Bautista Agut and Thanasi Kokkinakis at the back-to-back Adelaide 250 tournaments in the first two weeks of the season, Rublev said that he was in need of a boost.

“At the beginning of the season I lost a bit of confidence with those losses, but now I am playing good tennis,” he said. “After the first set I was feeling really confident and I knew I could play better, faster and that he was not comfortable with that, so I tried to play even more aggressive.”

Rublev, who has never reached the semi-finals of a major, is now one win away from his seventh major quarter-final, and second in three years Down Under.

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Michael Mmoh was sitting in his hotel room on Tuesday watching the Dallas Cowboys play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL playoffs. The American had lost in the final round of Australian Open qualifying and his hopes of taking a spot in the main draw appeared slim, so he booked his flight home.

“I was fully locked in on that game. Then all of a sudden I got a call from the ATP guy. Right when I saw the notification, I answered it right away. Like, literally,” Mmoh said Thursday. “I have never answered a phone call so fast in my life. First ring, and I was on it.”

The 25-year-old was told to be on site and get ready, since there was a possibility of a withdrawal that would see him enter the draw. Once David Goffin withdrew, the American was next on Court 13 to play Frenchman Laurent Lokoli. In the match ahead of them, Linda Fruhvirtova was leading Jaimee Fourlis 6-0, 2-0.

“I literally just grabbed my bag, grabbed a bunch of match clothes. Luckily everything was kind of in there already. Went straight to the site,” Mmoh said. “Also luckily, that match slowed down a little bit…

“Then another thing that went in my favour is I went basically straight to the match court, and then there was that heat delay. That kind of helped me.”

Even so, heat was not the only factor. It also rained, which wreaked more havoc on the match. Through the whirlwind of events, Lokoli took a 6-4, 6-2, 6-6 (6/6) lead, when a rain delay sent the players off court with the Frenchman two points from victory. When they returned, Mmoh missed a short forehand to give Lokoli match point, putting the World No. 175 on the brink of his first tour-level win. The Frenchman double faulted to give Mmoh life.

“At that point I just knew, if he wasn’t going to take the match, there had to be somebody to take the match. I could see that he was very nervous at that point,” Mmoh said. “I felt like I was playing well, but just things weren’t really going my way. But I knew if I won that set, the momentum would have shifted. He would have been thinking about that moment, and I felt like I was the better player.”

The American took full advantage of the opportunity. He won the tie-break, claimed the fourth set and took a 3-1 lead in the decider, when weather again suspended play, this time until Wednesday.

When the players continued the match, there was far less drama. Mmoh cruised through the rest of the fifth set, triumphing 6-2 in the decider to reach the second round at Melbourne Park for the third time. It was not that long ago he was sitting in his hotel room preparing to fly home.

“At that point, [I thought I had] zero [chance]. At this point I was even talking to my fiancee, and she was like, ‘Why don’t you fly out tonight?’ I was, like, ‘I would, but I don’t even think there [are] flights,’” Mmoh recalled. “I’m here now. Like, what if I was at the airport and somehow I got a last-minute call? Then I would be screwed. So I’ve got to stay just this one afternoon basically.”

The dream run did not stop there. Mmoh on Thursday stunned two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in four sets to reach the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

“I don’t know if I’m going to finally wake up or something. It just doesn’t seem real. Like, the past 48 hours have been a complete whirlwind from going from being ready to go back home, booking a flight, packing my bags. I was supposed to leave yesterday,” Mmoh said. “Now I’m here, and I just had the best win of my career. It just doesn’t seem real.”

Mmoh in action during the second round in Melbourne, where he upset Zverev. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Mmoh is up to No. 82 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, which will put him at a new career high on 30 January regardless of how he performs the rest of the fortnight. This did not come out of the blue, though.

The American finished 2022 on a high, winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles and reaching another final from September. He credits that to remaining healthy.

“To be honest, I haven’t been this healthy in my whole career. I think in 2018 I got out the Top 100, and I was main draw Australian Open, and I was main draw [in] some of the ATP events following. I got injured, and I was out for six months,” Mmoh said. “It’s always been a stop-start in my career, but the last 12 months or 12 to 14 months I’ve been 100 per cent healthy.

“I’ve been playing every event that I want to play. I think that’s a blessing because not every week is going to go your way.”

Mmoh is enjoying a dream run on and off the court. One month ago, he proposed to fiancee Klara Mrcela. Now he will play J.J. Wolf for a place in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

“Insane. Insane. You know, because the thing is I proposed, and then two days later I left to come to these tournaments. So it would have been maybe a little sad if I would have came back and lost in qualies,” Mmoh said. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, but to come back after probably the biggest win of my career… We definitely have got to celebrate that moment together when we’re back, along with the engagement.”