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Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori saved two match points to battle back and stay alive in a five-set epic at the Australian Open Sunday, admitting he almost gave up.
The 35-year-old, who reached a career-high four in the world and was a US Open finalist a decade ago, was on the brink of defeat at John Cain Arena against Thiago Monteiro.
But he rallied to beat the Brazilian 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in 4hr 6min.
“I almost gave up at match point,” said Nishikori, who is on the comeback trail after spending years sidelined by major hip surgery and an ankle injury. “He was playing very good and was on a roll. But I somehow fought through.
“It was a really tough one,” he added. “I tried to stay calm even though I was almost out of the tournament. I tried to fight to the end.”
Nishikori, the first Grand Slam men’s singles finalist from Asia at the U.S. Open in 2014, had played eight five-set matches before at Melbourne Park and only lost once — against Roger Federer in 2017.
After battling injuries for years, he returned to contest his first two Grand Slams last year since the 2021 season, reaching the second round at Roland Garros and crashing in his opening clash at Wimbledon.
But he gave a glimpse of his progress since then by making his first final in six years at the Hong Kong Open this month.
Now coached by 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, Nishikori will next play either American 12th seed Tommy Paul or Australia’s Chris O’Connell.
Storms cause havoc
In other action, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and sixth seed Casper Ruud rallied to make the second round Sunday as storms caused havoc ahead of Aryna Sabalenka beginning her quest for a historic third consecutive crown.
Fifth seed Zheng, last year’s losing finalist, had the honor of playing the first point on center court at the opening Grand Slam of the season against Romania’s 110th-ranked Anca Todoni.
She came through 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena but was rusty after opting not to play a warm-up event.
Zheng had three set points on her own serve at 5-3 in the first set, but allowed Todoni to come roaring back before closing her down in the tiebreak then racing through the second set.
“The first match is always not easy,” she said. “Just happy to get through the match, the tiebreak and find my rhythm.”
The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 with her Australian Open exploits helping spur her to Olympic gold — beating Iga Swiatek on the way — and three WTA titles.
While Zheng was able to play, the action on outside courts at Melbourne Park was halted barely an hour after it started when storms rolled in that turned the sky black.
Thunder and lightning saw players and fans rushing for cover, with heavy rain lashing Melbourne Park in a headache for organizers who face a match backlog.
Only the three main stadiums — Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena — have roofs.
Norway’s Ruud said ahead of the event that playing better at Grand Slams was on his agenda this year after an underwhelming 2024 at the majors.
But he will need to lift his game to go deep in Melbourne after a rollercoaster 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over Spain’s Jaume Munar, ranked 106.
Mirra Andreeva was the first player into the second round, with the 14th seeded Russian easing past the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3.
The 17-year-old made the fourth round in Melbourne last year and is looking to better that performance.
“Honestly it was a bit hard for me when they started closing the roof (mid-match),” said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. “I’m very happy today that I played in a stadium with a roof.”
Croat 18th seed Donna Vekic also progressed.
A battling Aryna Sabalenka survived an early wobble to beat Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 as the women’s world number one began her bid for a historic hat-trick at the Australian Open.
The Belarusian did not have it all her own way against the 2017 U.S. Open champion Stephens on Rod Laver Arena.
She raced into a 4-0 lead before a series of unforced errors allowed the 31-year-old American to break back twice for 4-3.
The lapses fired up Sabalenka who changed her racket and became more aggressive.
She created a succession of break points before finally converting on the fifth to move 5-3 ahead and then served out to take the set in 38 minutes.
Stephens, now ranked 84th, has a poor record in Melbourne, losing in the first round on four of her previous five appearances.
Sabalenka can become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to lift the winner’s Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup three years in succession.
If she does, she will join a select group of women comprising only Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis that have completed the Melbourne three-peat.
Sabalenka, who is seeded number one at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, came to Melbourne in fine form, having won the Brisbane International last week.
She enjoyed the best season of her career in 2024, where she also won a maiden U.S. Open, four WTA Tour titles, reached seven finals and was named WTA Player of the Year.
© 2025 AFP