Former US Open finalist withdraws on eve of tournament as Lucky Loser called up

28 August 2023 , 10:18

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Kei Nishikori, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2014, has withdrawn from the US Open due to injury (Image: Kyodo)

Kei Nishikori has been forced to pull out of the US Open on the eve of the final Grand Slam of the year with lucky loser James Duckworth replacing the Japanese star.

Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, withdrew from the US Open after his injured left knee failed to recover fully in time for the tournament. He was replaced by Duckworth, who lost in qualifying to Timofey Skatov over the weekend but now has a lifeline.

Duckworth will face Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves in the first round of the men’s singles draw. The 2023 US Open begins on Monday August 28.

It’s a familar story for Nishikori, who has struggled with injuries and fitness in recent years. The 33-year-old only returned to action in June having been sidelined since October 2021 due to various issues.

He underwent hip surgery in January 2022 and needed over a year to rehabilitate the problem before he could compete. Nishikori had overcome injuries to stay in the world’s top-20 for years, playing fine tennis before further ailments derailed his career.

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Nishikori was ranked as high as World No. 4 in 2015, months after his semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic at the US Open made him the first male Grand Slam singles finalist from Asia. He fell to Marin Cilic in the final, losing 6-3 6-3 6-3.

In June, Nishikori returned to action and immediately hit the ground running as he won an ATP Challenger title at Palmas Del Mar. He picked up three more wins at events in Bloomfield Hills and Chicago, as well as a quarter-final appearance in Atlanta.

James Duckworth has replaced Kei Nishikori in the US Open men's singles draw (AP)

In Atlanta, Nishikori secured tight wins over Jordan Thompson and Juncheng Shang to reach the last eight. However, he was defeated by Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-2 after feeling pain in his knee.

Since then, Nishikori missed an event in Washington due to a left knee problem and has not returned. He also skipped tour events in Toronto and Cincinnati in the hope he would be fit enough to return at the US Open, but he will be forced to wait to complete his Grand Slam comeback.

Nishikori last competed at a major at the 2021 US Open, where he reached the third round. Duckworth, taking advantage of Nishikori’s unfortunate situation, will hope to match his career-best performance at a Grand Slam: a third round berth at the 2021 Wimbledon.

Duckworth’s previous best performance at the US Open came in 2016 and last year, when the World No. 112 reached the second round.

Andrew Gamble