Nishikori continues winning ways in Delray

Academy student Kei Nishikori, who qualified for the main draw, has moved into the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships with a 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Amer Delic. This is the second ATP-level quarterfinal that Nishikori has reached in his very young career. Last year he advanced to the quarters at Indianapolis before losing to Dmitry Tursunov in straight sets.

Now, he will have a chance to reach the semifinals for the first time in his career. Standing in his way is American Bobby Reynolds. He moved past Diego Hartfield 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3) to reach the quarters. This will be the first career ATP meeting between Reynolds and Nishikori. They actually played each other last year at a Challenger in Yuba City with Reynolds winning in three sets.

With each win Nishikori moves closer to reaching #45 in the world. If he does, he will become the highest ranked Japanese male tennis player in history. We at the Academy are calling this “Project 45!”

Also winning in Delray were a host of Americans, including top-seeded James Blake, third-seeded Sam Querrey, sixth-seeded Vince Spadea, eighth-seeded Mardy Fish, and Robby Ginepri. In fact, there are only two players left in the draw that aren’t American: the aforementioned Nishikori and Russian Igor Kunitysn.

Blake will take on Kunitysn, Ginepri plays Fish, and Spadea will face Querrey.

Djokovic falls in Marseille

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic suffered a blow yesterday in the second round of the Open 13 in France. He lost to Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 in only his third match since winning the Australian Open. Simon will now face fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the quarterfinals.

Djokovic wasn’t the only high seed to lose yesterday, as second-seeded Richard Gasquet fell to Robin Soderling of Sweden 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. That was the first time Soderling has beaten Gasquet in three tries. He will now face unseeded Mario Ancic, after the Croat defeated Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-2. This will be the first career meeting between Ancic and Soderling.

Third-seeded Mikhail Youzhny didn’t have the same fate as his higher seeded counterparts, as he beat Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarters. Youzhny will now face sixth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis, after he eliminated Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-4. Baghdatis and Youzhny are 1-1 against each other, and the last time they met was in the quarters of this tournament in 2007. Baghdatis won that match in three tough sets.

Henin reaches quarters

Top-seeded Jusine Henin need three sets to defeat Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round of the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium. Henin won 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1 in her first match since losing to Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Henin will now face Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova for the first time in her career. Kleybanova is an 18-year old who is ranked #106 in the world.

Last week’s champion Anna Chakvetadze, who is seeded second, was not as lucky as Henin. She lost to Swedish lucky loser Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 7-5 in the second round. Arvidsson will now take on Na Li of China in the quarterfinals.

Already today, Karin Knapp became the first woman to reach the semifinals as she upset fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-7(1), 7-6(2). Knapp will face the winner between Li and Arvidsson. 

Third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova is on court right now against Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky and is losing in the first set.