Kei Nishikori hoping hiatus ends but Pandemic may spoil his comeback

     It was just last month that the No. 1 male Japanese player in the world, Kei Nishikori started thinking serious about playing the Davis Cup against Ecuador. He hadn't played since the third round of the 2019 US Open, suffering from a chronic elbow injury that required surgery. He is now longing to get back despite knowing it would take a while to be 100%. "My elbow is fine, but my body is not ready yet...I've rested a long time and I am coming back from zero. It's sad seeing the Australian Open and now skipping the Davis Cup and other big tournaments are coming," Nishikori said solemnly. But he's yet to feel the apex of things to come when the full virus outbreak had erupted.

     The Pandemic has given recuperating and ailing players like Nishikori time to get back in shape. Ones that weren't as consistent as they needed to be, it gave a legitimate rest to sharpen their skills and game. The problem may be that it's too much time that has lapsed with no definite schedule of tournaments to play. It leaves everyone feeling a bit lacking in talent and competitive spirit. Players as Kei Nishikori are in the lurch and the thralls of uncertainty upon returning nearly at all. No tournaments are missed because they've been cancelled or postponed with nothing being definte yet that Nishikori has to worry about. "...I will keep working hard to be back on court as soon as possible," the 13th ranked ATP player had said feeling rather uplifted months ago. This was before the outbreak when events weren't on the chopping block, but today it's a different matter. 

     Every event is in question and so is Kei Nishikori's return on to the competitive courts. Players are practicing without knowing when a tournament will resurface or get cancelled again. But Nishikori tries to remain hopeful. Last year it was at the top of his mind to perhaps make good out of the 2020 season, in case it's his last as a professional tennis player. "I'm getting closer to retirement. I want to be cured and come back to play good tennis in the second half of the year," he optimistically once said. The scene has changed now  and the second half of the year may be erased also narrowing his decision more on retirement than continuing on tour. Kei Nishikori doesn't want to go out like this and sincerely says that "...I want to be able to play well...I don't want to overdo it." Most of all he wants to get out on the court again but fears that with added time, he will not be any closer to playing than he was months ago before the virus outbreak.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aDyiRR