Davis Cup: Fired-up Nishikori helps team to 2-1 lead

Japan cruise to doubles win past Canada in first round tie.

TOKYO:

A fired-up Kei Nishikori propelled Japan to a doubles win over Canada in their Davis Cup world group first round tie on Saturday to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

Japan will now be expected to claim a quarter-final place for the first time since the 16-nation elite group format was introduced in 1981.

The decision to play Nishikori instead of Yuichi Sugita proved an inspired one after both teams had tweaked their doubles line-ups.

Nishikori and Yasutaka Uchiyama produced an electrifying 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 display against Daniel Nestor and Frank Dancevic, winning in a shade over three hours to give Japan their first world group doubles victory under the current system.

Japan now look odds-on to advance to an April date against either Davis Cup holders the Czech Republic or the Netherlands, unless Canada can somehow halt the swashbuckling Nishikori in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles.



“I just want to focus on taking care of business so there is no pressure,” said Nishikori.

“I only found out last night I was playing in the doubles. I don’t practice doubles normally but I was confident we could win today [Saturday].”

Swiss, French stroll on

France, Switzerland and Britain enjoyed perfect starts to their Davis Cup World Group first round ties on Friday as Czech Republic made a stuttering start to their three-peat bid.

Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka put the Swiss 2-0 up to put Serbia on the brink of an early elimination.

Federer, a last-minute addition to the Swiss team, won through 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 against 268th-ranked Ilija Bozoljac. Wawrinka then stepped up to battle past 102nd ranked Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).

The Swiss are favourites with Serbia weakened by the absence of star turns Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic.

Australia too were heading for the Davis Cup exit after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet were on target for France. France were sitting pretty after Gasquet beat Aussie teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-2, before Tsonga ousted Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).

Meanwhile, Andy Murray and James Ward won their opening singles matches as Great Britain pushed the United States to the brink on the opening day.

Elsewhere Spain, missing Rafael Nadal, were up against it trailing 2-0 to Germany, while Argentina were level 1-1 with Italy as Kazakhstan led Belgium 2-0. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2014.

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