Cilic Leads, but Unseeded Kyrgios, Wawrinka Add Sriracha to Japan Open Field; Preview
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Two Top 10 players and dangerous floaters such as Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka and Denis Shapovalov make the Japan Open a tournament to watch next week.
ADHEREL
RAKUTEN JAPAN OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018
TOKYO, Japan; surface: hard
Seeds: Marin Cilic, Kevin Anderson, Kei Nishikori, Diego Schwartzman, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Milos Raonic, Chung Hyeon, Richard Gasquet
Floaters: Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka, Denis Shapovalov, Gilles Simon, Akex de Minaur
Notes:
Cilic and Anderson two Top 10ers in the field, with no byes for the seeds…
A mine field of unseeded floaters as (7) Chung starts against Shapovalov (winner to meet the Wawrinka-Taylor Fritz winner), Simon vs. De Minaur with the winner to meet (3) Tsitsipas, and (8) Gasquet vs. Kyrgios 2nd rd…
In the quarterfinals (2) Anderson looking at Kyrgios, and (1) Cilic vs. Wawrinka…
Wildcards were awarded to Japan’s Taro Daniel, Yoshihito Nishioka and Yuichi Sugita, and the American Fritz received a special exempt into the main draw after reaching an ATP main draw semi last week, leaving him unable to play the Japan Open qualifying…
Defending champion David Goffin and Lucas Pouille withdrew from the field…
Goffin beat Adrian Mannarino in last year’s final…
Former champs in the field are Kyrgios (2016), Wawrinka (2015), and Nishikori (2014,’12).
DID YOU KNOW? Toshiro Sakai beat Jun Kuki in the all-Japanese final when the tournament debuted in 1972. Since then Nishikori (2014,’12) has been the only Japanese winner, and a Japanese player has not lost in a Japan Open final since 1972.
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