Nishikori Breaks Booming Raonic Serve for 2nd Title

Breaking Power: One of the ATP's smallest players breaks down one of its biggest servers for the Japan Open title.

Kei Nishikori tamed the booming 142+-mph serves of Canadian star Milos Raonic in three sets at the Japan Open final for his second career title.

Nishikori, 22, won his fourth career final 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-0 to become the first Japanese player to win the tournament since 1973 when it became an ATP-sanctioned event.

Sunday’s final at Tokyo’s Ariake Forest Tennis Park brought together two rising stars in the youngest final to date of the year’s 58 tournaments.

Raonic, 21, is ranked 16th in the world and the highest ranked male singles player from Canada since 1973 when ATP introduced its current computerized ranking system. At 6-5, 198 pounds, Raonic is known for the 143-mph speed and accuracy of his serves, a weapon that helped him upset Andy Murray in the semi-final.

Nishikori, ranked 15th after Sunday’s win, is known both for the way his 5-10, 153-pound frame zips around the court and his precise passing shots from both wings. He had dispatched 2nd-seed Thomas Berdych in straight sets in the quarterfinal. Earlier this season Nishikori has upset Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and James Blake.

Nishikori got off to a quick 3-0 lead in the first set by breaking Raonic in the second game. Before the final Raonic had served 49 aces and had his service game broken just once in the semi-final match against Andy Murray. But Nishikori’s return game too had been formidable all tournament, winning 21 of 45 return games.

In the second set Raonic was able to break Nishikori at 4-3, then serve an ace to save his own service game and serve out the set.

In the third set Nishikori bageled Raonic by breaking his three straight service games while holding his own serves.

“To have won this tournament in Japan is a very happy occasion for me,” Nishikori said. “I made an effort to approach today’s match as the challenger.”

Nishikori had won his only other ATP tour title in Delray Beach, Fla., in February 2008 when he was just 18. He had just turned pro in 2007. He had moved to Florida from Japan at the age of 14 to train at the Nick Bollettieri Academy under the Masaaki Morita Tennis Fund program as one of several Japanese players sponsored by Sony Chairman Akio Morita.

Nishikori began playing tennis at age five. His Mother Eri is a piano teacher and his father Kiyoshi is an engineer. In 2008 he was named ATP Newcomer of the Year. He travels with coach Dante Bottini of the Bollettieri Academy.