All photos by Paul Zimmer
2010.06.15
Kei's update
Just a quick update
regarding Kei. During Kei's second match on Saturday he injured
his Gluteal
region a little bit. This is not uncommon when players make the switch from
clay to grass. Yesterday and today his piriformis muscle continued to cause
tightness and as it got worse during the match today, Kei decided he did not
want to risk anything for Wimbledon.
Kei has already seen
the ATP doctor on site (and discussed with his own Medical Team) and the
evaluation also confirmed this injury is not serious. Kei should be absolutely
fine for Wimbledon in one week.
Wimbledon has confirmed that Kei Nishikori will receive a Wild Card into the
main draw. The Main Draw of Wimbledon starts June 21st.
Quote from Kei
2010.05.17
Kei won Sarasota Challenger
Kei Nishikori: "Today was a great day. I really got tested and Brian played a great match. My level went up as the match went on and I am extremely happy that my body has felt so great not just today but the last two weeks. I am very happy with the progress I have made the last 6 months and my team around me has been amazing. This is also a great day for them. I look forward to the next months to come."
Dr. Graeme Lauriston: Doctor of Physical Therapy of Bollettieri Sports Medicine: "I was very impressed with how not just Kei's arm but his whole body held up these past couple of weeks. He has played several back to back matches in consecutive days and has proven that his body's endurance as well as his conditioning is where it needs to be. We have come a long way from the surgery and will continue to monitor the progress closely
Olivier van Lindonk: Kei's Manager at IMG: "These last two weeks have been a great test for Kei. He played two tournaments back to back and his body recovered extremely well after every match. In addition, his level of tennis continues to improve as he is getting to spend more time on the court with Nick Bollettieri and Glenn Weiner. His comeback has really been a team effort and to see these results has been very satisfying for everyone involved. We are now looking forward to the next weeks and will find out early next week if Kei will be able to play the main draw of the French Open."
Glenn Weiner: Coach Kei Nishikori: "We are obviously very happy with today's win. Kei fought incredibly hard and I am excited to see his tennis level improve every week. When Kei started coming back from his injury it was obviously a challenger to spend time on the court working on things as we had to be careful in the beginning. When Kei returned to Florida following his surgery we mapped out a careful recovery plan with the entire team and things are going right as planned. To see this progress translate into tournament wins so quickly is obviously great. We will continue to work to improve his technique and his tennis and are now working to get him back in the top 100 as a first step towards bigger goals."
Nick Bollettieri: "With the support team that Kei has, it is just a matter of time before Kei is back where he belongs: with the best of the world. This result clearly shows that he has the ability and the environment of the academy provided a perfect place for Kei to rehab and work on his comeback slowly, without pressure. The combination of having our doctors, physical therapists, mental condition staff, coaching staff and good hitters all in one place, has shown again to be very effect. The team at the Academy has a lot of experience with not only getting players to top 10 in the world, but also to bring them back from Injury. Seles, Sharapova, Haas, Dent, and now Kei are all great examples. I am excited to see Kei progress in the years to come."
"I am so happy that
I won the title today and the way I played. My level of tennis has been
improved a lot in these last months with the help of Nick Bollettieri and Glenn
Weiner and the staff at the Bollettieri Academy. I was a little nervous before
the final because it had been a long time since I had played a match like this.
Next is the Sarasota tournament and we will spend the next two days getting
ready for this tournament."
2010.05.07
Kei's comment at Savannah Challenger, 1R
"It is nice to win my
first match on clay this year. The clay is a little heavier so I am really
pleased that I am feeling good. It is always a good test. Excited about my
next match".
2010.04.26
Kei's update
Just a quick update
about Kei's entry into the French Open. These last couple of days I received a
lot of inquiries about whether Kei will or will not play in the French Open. To
clarify this situation, as Kei's manager, I would like to update you fully on
the situation:
I have entered Kei
into the French Open with his protected ranking of 106. Over a period of 9
months (since his first match in Delray), Kei has 8 tournaments he can enter
with his protected ranking of 106. We are picking his schedule very carefully
and balancing many factors: regaining match toughness, match rhythm, health,
competition of the players he will face, training blocks, etc.
As of right now (the
list just came out last week) Kei is 8 spots out of the main draw of the French
Open. I am expecting this list will drop but I cannot give you any information
whether it will be enough for Kei to move into the main draw. We have obviously
also requested a Main Draw WC for Kei.
In addition, I
wanted to give you a quick update regarding the last two weeks. Kei reached the
quarter finals in both Baton Rouge Challenger and the Tallahassee Challenger.
We are happy with the progress especially since Kei's arm has been pain free for
both tournaments. Of course Kei is getting used to playing back-to-back matches
in tournaments again and improving his match rhythm is something that will come
with time. He has not played competitive tennis for 11 months and history shows
us that when players come back from injuries like this it will take 8 to 10
healthy tournaments before they are back at their top level again.
This coming week Kei
will be in Bradenton at the IMG/Bollettieri Academy working with Nick
Bollettieri and Glenn Weiner on his continued progress back to the top
100.
