Sep 16 (Japan Times) - Kei Nishikori picked up his first win in a year at the Italian Open on Monday, defeating two-time ATP Tour titlist Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) to reach the second round of the clay court tournament in Rome.
It marked Nishikori’s first win since the 2019 U.S. Open, a hard-court event he opted to skip this year after a positive coronavirus test. The 30-year-old is playing in his second tournament since his return from elbow surgery.
“Very happy to win. I think winning is most important for now. I need to get a lot of confidence. It’s been a long time since the U.S. Open last year,” Nishikori said on court after his victory.
“Happy to go through. It wasn’t maybe perfect yet, but hopefully one by one I’ll get better.”
Nishikori needed six match points to get past the Spaniard in two hours and four minutes behind closed doors at the Foro Italico.
