Kei Nishikori: 'Team is getting stronger, we will have a chance in Madrid'
In five months, the tennis world will get the first champion of the newly-created Davis Cup Finals, with 18 nations battling for the title at Caja Magica in Madrid. Japan is one of the teams that have qualified for the Davis Cup Finals, facing Serbia (without Novak Djokovic) and France in Group A and seeking the place in the quarter-final. Competing in Gropu I, Japan had managed to secure the spot in the World Group in 2012 after three wins in the previous year, never leaving the elite group since 2014 and winning the Play-Off tie in the last four years.
Making his Davis Cup debut against India in 2008, Kei Nishikori has won 20 out of 23 rubbers so far (losing the first one to Rohan Boppana in five sets at the age of 18) but he wasn't a part of the Japanese squad since 2016 when he played doubles rubber against Ukraine. Nishikori can't wait to lead his country in Madrid, speaking about his greatest Davis Cup memories and the chances of his team to go all the way and lift the trophy for the first time on an indoor hard court.
"My first Davis Cup memory goes back to that India tie when I was 17 or 18, I was very nervous, playing in the team for the first time and standing as the leader, which carried a big pressure. It was a good experience and something different from the regular Tour, being the team event. I have many great memories, we played so many Play-Off ties and won them after very close encounters. The good thing about Davis Cup is that it is not about me but the team, some of my teammates played well and I got motivation from that, carrying that to my results on the Tour. In the last couple of years, I enjoyed playing the Davis Cup more than before. We are excited to play Davis Cup Finals in Madrid for the first time, our team is getting stronger and we have some strong doubles players too."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2KHnh9C
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