Nishikori Test Tonight

After overcoming a late night showdown against Chris Guccione, Andy will now face Kei Nishikori in the second round of the SAP Open.

18-year-old, Kei Nishikori burst onto the scene last week in Delray Beach, where he stunned the draw, making a run to the final and defeating James Blake to claim his first ATP career title.

The young Japanese star gained a special entry into the draw in San Jose this week and made an impressive start defeating Diego Hartfield in straight sets, to set up the clash against Andy, for whom he has much admiration:

“I want to play Roddick; that’s why I won today,” Nishikori said after his first round win. “I saw he was watching, and I got so nervous. For two games I couldn’t even move.”

Andy certainly isn’t taking Nishikori’s challenge lightly. Speaking about Nishikori in Wednesday’s post match interview, Andy said:

“He’s full of confidence. Ten days ago he’s 244 (in the world), playing first-round qualifiers at Delray Beach. Now, he’s a player. He has nothing to lose, he has momentum on his side and he’s confident. That’s a lot to deal with.”

Here are Nishikori’s stats courtesy of the ATP:

Birthdate: 29-Dec-89
Birthplace: Shimane, Japan
Residence: Bradenton, Florida, USA
Height: 5’10’’ (177 cm)
Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)
Plays: Right-handed
Turned Pro: 2007
Coach: Glenn Weiner
Current ATP Ranking – Singles: 131
Career High ATP Ranking – Singles: 131 (18-Feb-08)
Current ATP Race – Singles: 24

The match is scheduled to be second in the evening session on Thursday following James Blake, starting at 7.00pm PST.

You can follow the match either by live scoring on ATPtennis.com or via live streaming on B2 Network:

http://www.b2tv.com/

Stay tuned to AR.com for all the latest on Andy in San Jose!