Tokyo: Japan’s teenage sensation Kei Nishikori said Friday he may miss the Australian Open in January, the first Grand Slam event of the season, although he has resumed training after an elbow injury.
“I can’t make a schedule for the tour until my elbow is completely healed. I still need one or two months to be back to 100 percent,” Nishikori told reporters.
“I want to take part (in the Australian Open) but probably I can’t.”
Nishikori, who will turn 20 next month, has been out of competition since injuring his right elbow in March and underwent surgery in August. He resumed training at the end of October.
“I think it’s a start... Hopefully I can move up little by little,” said Nishikori whose world ranking has plummeted to 423rd from his all-time high of 56th last February.
“I think my condition is about 70 percent now.”
Nishikori was identified as a prodigy in his early teens.
A foundation established by Japan Tennis Association president Masaaki Morita sent him to Florida where he started training at the renowned Nick Bollettieri Academy at age 13.
In only his fifth tournament since his professional debut in 2007, Nishikori caused a sensation by capturing his first ATP title at Delray Beach in February last year at 18 to become only the second Japanese man to win a tour title.
Nishikori’s US Open performance last year, where he reached the fourth round beating then world number four David Ferrer of Spain, put him in the world spotlight and earned him highly lucrative sponsorship contracts.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 27, 2009, 20:20