Nishikori upsets Tsitsipas, sets stage for a week of surprises in Montreal

There is still life in Kei Nishikori’s tennis career–at least if the National Bank Open is the judge.

Nishikori upset Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to a secure a spot in round three of this Masters 1000 tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Japanese veteran broke Tsitsipas three times while cruising in one hour and 18 minutes.

“It means a lot,” Nishikori assured. “I am playing well and feels I am back on track again, so I am really happy with the way I played today. Beating Stef is not easy; for me it is a great win. I stayed aggressive and was not missing too many balls today. It was much better than the first round.”

Having played only six matches this entire season amidst various injuries, Nishikori is ranked No. 576 in the world. The 34-year-old missed all of 22 and played only three matches at the ATP level in 2023, although he did win a Challenger title last summer in Puerto Rico.

Nishikori’s result was not the only upset on Thursday. In fact, the first four completed matches all saw the seeded player lose. Daniil Medvedev fell to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Ugo Humbert was ousted by Nuno Borges in a third-set tiebreaker, and Brandon Nakashima beat Tommy Paul in an all-American showdown.

With a whole host of competitors making a quick transition from clay to hard courts following the Paris Olympics, expect the surprises to continue.