Kei Nishikori remains unlucky with injuries
Kei Nishikori cannot get rid of the devil of injury: The Japanese had to cancel his start at the ATP 250 tournament in Antwerp due to shoulder problems.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Oct 21, 2020, 12:06 am
Kei Nishikori only returned to the tour in Kitzbühel at the beginning of September after a break of a little more than a year (elbow problems). Around a month later, the Japanese had to break again due to an injury. The 30-year-old cannot take part in the ATP 250 tournament in Antwerp due to problems with his right shoulder.
He sustained the injury at the French Open, Nishikori said. In his second round defeat against Stefano Travaglia, the 30-year-old had already had his shoulder treated several times. Before the tournament started in Belgium, however, the Japanese had been optimistic: "I couldn't train for more than a week and was a little worried, but then I felt better than expected."
Apparently the pain was too great - Nishikori withdrew in both singles and doubles. The world number 36 fears a similar long break as twelve months ago. not: "I don't think it's very serious. I didn't want to take any chances."
Nishikori is therefore still planning a tournament to start next week: "I will now prepare for Vienna." Due to the enormously strong starting field, the Japanese in the Austrian capital is dependent on his "Protected Ranking". In his only Vienna appearance so far in 2018, Nishikori reached the final.