Nishikori has a week for the record books

MELBOURNE - The first week, it was about the women.

The second week, it was about the men. Or rather, the man.

With all four Chinese women knocked out of the main draw at the Australian Open, the lone remaining Asian became Japan's top player, Kei Nishikori.

Despite losing in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, to Britain's Andy Murray in the quarterfinals, Nishikori became the rare Asian man to grab a place in the Grand Slam spotlight.

The 22-year-old became the first Japanese male to reach the quarterfinals in the open era just three months after entering the semis of a Masters event for the first time in Shanghai last October.

Thanks to the ground-breaking run at the Melbourne Park, Nishikori is projected to improve his ranking to No 20 when the ATP updates its system next week.

Still, the current No 26 has his eyes on a bigger prize.

"Yeah, that's one piece of exciting news for me, because my first goal was to get into the top 20. I can't believe it's already done. Now, I will try to get the top 15," Nishikori said at the post-match press conference.

Murray also beat Nishikori in straight sets in their last meeting, in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters.

"I think I just didn't play good enough to beat him. He was making me run side to side all the time. He's really tough because he never misses. He has a great serve that is tough to break," Nishikori said of Murray.

Nishikori's tireless legs were credited for his win over worn-out sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets in the round of 16, and he brought his five-set win-loss record to 5-1.

The 1.78-meter Japanese says his long-rally style actually stems from his physical shortcomings.

"You have to be really smart cause I am not a big guy on tour. I need a lot of speed as I don't have much power," said Nishikori, who's been hitting the gym to work on his body recently.

"I am really happy with how my physical condition is now. I had a good offseason. So to win a Grand Slam, I have to be more fit."

Asia's No 1 male is a product of the "Project 45" campaign, which aimed to help him surpass Japan's old record of No 46 in the world. He was sent to the Bollettieri Academy in the US to fine-tune his game.

That was eight years ago, and Nishikori still says it was a key to his success.

"For me, the one thing that helped was to train with top players there. When I was 14, 15, I could practice with the like of Tommy Haas and a lot of talented players. Living in the US, I played a lot of different types, so I got used to them," Nishikori said.

As one of Nishikori's junior opponents at the academy, Murray saw some similarities in their approach.

"I think both of us move well. He's improved his all-court game. I like the way he plays. I practiced with him a lot when I was younger. He's doing well - probably the best tennis of his career," said Murray, who will play Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on Friday.

China Daily