Kei Nishikori wants to emulate Matsuoka run

Japan’s Kei Nishikori returns against Australia’s Matthew Ebden during their men’s first round match on day two of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Club in Wimbledon

Japan’s Kei Nishikori set his sights on emulating Shuzo Matsuoka’s famous run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals as the 12th seed cruised into the second round with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Australian wild card Matthew Ebden on Tuesday.

Nishikori last year became the first Japanese man to reach the third round at the All England Club since 1995 and he is aiming even higher this time.

The world number 11, who in 2012 became the first Japanese male quarter-finalist at the Australian Open for 80 years, believes he can emulate his former junior coach Matsuoka, who made the Wimbledon last eight in 1995, before losing to Pete Sampras, in Japan’s best men’s performance at the tournament.

“That’s going to be my next goal, to go to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon,” Nishikori said.

“You know, you have to beat top 10 guys maybe twice to get to quarter-final.

“But I’m getting stronger on grass courts and getting confidence, so hopefully I can do it.”

Equalling Matsuoka’s landmark achievement would mean the world to Nishikori, who idolises his compatriot and spent time working with him in the early stages of his career.

“Yeah, for sure he was one of my idols. He was coaching me when I was young, too, so he was giving me a lot of advice,” Nishikori said.

Nishikori, who reached the fourth round at the recent French Open, before losing to eventual winner Rafael Nadal, was never troubled by Ebden and brushed the world number 110 aside in emphatic fashion.

The Florida-based star needed only one hour and 41 minutes on Court 14 and he next faces Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, who defeated Aljaz Bedene 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Nishikori believes he is growing more confident on grass after reaching the quarter-finals of the London Olympics at Wimbledon last year and he was delighted with the way he dismissed Ebden.

“I played good last year on grass, I got to the third round at Wimbledon and it was good beating David Ferrer in Olympics. It was a big experience for me.

“This year I played only one match and in Halle I lost in the first round, so I had a little bit of doubt about grass courts again.

“But I played well today. When it’s the first round it’s not easy, but I started really well.

“The last two games were a little bit rough, I have to say. But otherwise I played I think unbelievably well.

“A lot of powerful backhands and a lot of winners from the backhand. That was the key.”

Nishikori won’t be underestimating the threat posed by Mayer after spending many hours practising with the world number 84.

“We practise a lot but we never played before. He has a good serve, a big serve on grass,” Nishikori said.

“He has big ground-strokes as well, so he’s going to be a tough opponent.”