Venus beats No. 1 Kerber; unseeded Fognini ousts Nishikori at Miami Open

Otsukaresama, Kei-san.

socrateos:

Quarterfinals - that is as far as Kei can go. Same old story.

You're a jinx!!!

In tennis, unless you're way ahead of the pack like the current top two, you just can't rest on your laurels, even for a short time. Nishikori, I believe, will drop to No.7 next Monday.

Like I said the last time Nishikori lost to a relative unknown (last tournament and the one before), it's great that he is indirectly given previously (relatively) unknown players a big chance. Good on Fognini, previously unseeded. As for Nishikori, I'd say he's pretty much done, but that seems to have been the case for a while. Had hoped he would improve, but I think even the die-hards are no longer saying, "Next year will be his year" any more, after five years of doing it. I hope he can at least continue to get as far as he is.

It was Williams’ 15th career win against a No. 1 player, but her first since 2014.

Putting Venus just behind Navratilova (18) and sister Serena (17), but at 36 years & 10 months, she's the oldest to do so

Boy...it's been a rough start to 2017 for Nishikori.

Go V ! Win it all !

I regret getting up to watch Nishikori. That was a very disappointing performance. Nishikori apparently hurt his knee in the Verdasco match and basically looked like he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Very frustrating to watch. I doubt we'll see Nishikori again until Monte Carlo.

Tsuchifumazu: "Nishikori apparently hurt his knee in the Verdasco match and basically looked like he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible."

Yeah, couldn't possibly have been because of the other player's skill. I mean, if he was so badly injured he COULD have just sat it out to begin with. Or maybe he's just saving it for later? The other player too tall, perhaps?

As for Nishikori, I'd say he's pretty much done, but that seems to have been the case for a while.

That is why he ranked 4th and has been in the Top 10 for how long?

DaDude: ah, so you're saying that he's improving then, and has been doing well of late. I suppose he smashed his racquet out of joy?

@smith - Just out of curiosity, what causes you to continuously make such cynical and vitriolic statements about this young man ? I would really like to know.

As for Nishikori, I'd say he's pretty much done, but that seems to have been the case for a while.

Remind me never to have you as a teammate. Typical defeatist, surrender-before-the-game-is-done attitude. Never count anyone out, and never say never. I wouldn't put it past Nishikori to use it as motivation to come out fully firing on all cylinders at the next tournament.

Or maybe he's just saving it for later? The other player too tall, perhaps?

HUH? No one mentioned such a thing. Are you trying to stir some controversy or something? Stay focused on this article.

peterl: "I wouldn't put it past Nishikori to use it as motivation to come out fully firing on all cylinders at the next tournament."

Except that he didn't this time, and it's at least the third time so far this year he's suffered such a loss.

"HUH? No one mentioned such a thing."

Relax. I was being sarcastic and pointing out the excuse making. You haven't been here long, so you haven't seen people make the excuses I did (sarcastically) in response to another poster, but those exact excuses have been used MANY times on this forum and in society in general, when Nishikori loses.

@smith His knee was hurting and later he reported that he had wrist problems. I think he decided to play knowing he would probably lose as to not disappoint the fans that showed up to watch. He should have retired or just given Fog a walk over. His next planned tournament will be Barcelona and then Monte Carlo. Nishikori was gracious in defeat and said he was beaten by a better player. Fognini is not tall. I predict Nishikori doing just enough this year to make it to the tour finals.

Tsuchifumazu: "@smith His knee was hurting and later he reported that he had wrist problems."

The excuses are not necessary, and make it look worse. He shouldn't have played if things were that bad. If he played anyway, and subsequently lost, just say, "At least he tried, but Fognini beat him," don't state all the reasons why Nishikori lost (not his fault, right?) and not even mention the other player was the better on the court.

"Nishikori was gracious in defeat and said he was beaten by a better player."

Now we're getting somewhere!

"Fognini is not tall."

It was sarcasm. I know people who have literally said Nishikori lost because the player was tall, forgetting that Nishikori had beaten the same player in previous matches. I asked if the other player was shorter that time, and the person I was speaking to was dumbfounded.

"I predict Nishikori doing just enough this year to make it to the tour finals."

I hope so. He's not been doing well at all, and certainly not what the media and others hyped. I would like to see him completely distance himself from them (can't with the Japanese sponsor system, but hey) and stop doing commercials and focus on playing, but it won't happen. It's not as fun when he doesn't make it far into the tournaments, so I hope he does better.

Smithinjapan:

You seem to think that it's not alright to blame yourself for a loss, and that you should only say "I lost to a better player". While it's alright to admit you lost to a better player, it is also perfectly alright to blame yourself as well for your loss. Every top athlete does it. Roger Federer once said that he blames himself when he wins and he blames himself when he loses. It is the way to look at yourself internally to understand where you can get better and not make the same physical and mental mistakes the next time. Even Lebron James has said many times, "That loss was all on me", while beating his chest and getting mad at himself.

Tsuchifumazu,

I read that he isn't scheduled to play Monte Carlo.

Well done to Nishikori for making the quarters at two ATP 1000s back-to-back. That's why he's top eight.

Again though, he needs to find a way to win matches without getting injured towards the business end of the tournaments, to improve his chances of getting the break through win that he has as a goal.