Sport | Tennis
Japanese challenge grows stronger
Japan's second-highest ranked player Aiko Nakamura has predicted that her country will be a force to reckon with in tennis within the next couple of years.
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:29 February 24, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Teen ace Kei Nishikori in action against James Blake in the Delray Beach International.
Dubai: Japan's second-highest ranked player Aiko Nakamura has predicted that her country will be a force to reckon with in tennis within the next couple of years.
"A lot of hard work has gone into building up the game at the grass roots level and now the results have started showing in both the men's and women's competitions," Nakamura told Gulf News after advancing to the final round of the qualifiers at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.
Tennis force
Second only to the more experienced Ai Sugiyama, Nakamura rose to an all-time high of number 47 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings in August last year. And her calling card for this leap was her third round entry at the season-opening Australian Open.
"But this year I lost to Justine Henin in the first round and hence dropped down the rankings," Nakamura explained.
But there are her fellow countrywomen who are heading the common cause of putting Japan up there as a tennis force, including Ayumi Morita and Akiko Morigami, who battled each other in the second round of the qualifiers here yesterday.
"We all have a common goal and we try and help each other and inspire each other to perform at their best level at every tournament," Nakamura stated.
A major part of her inspiration though was drawn following Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori's three-set title win against America's tournament top seed James Blake in the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships last week.
Inspiration
In doing so, Nishikori became the first Japanese ATP singles titlist since Shuzo Matsuoko won Seoul in April 1992. At just over 18 years, Nishikori became the youngest player to win an ATP title since Lleyton Hewitt won in Adelaide when he was 16 years and 10 and a half months old way back in 1998.
"He [Nishikori] has been a huge inspiration for all of us travelling on the tour and other aspiring players as well," Nakamura said.
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