Kei Nishikori says why he had a ‘strange feeling’ after seeing the draw for the first round of the Tokyo Open

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Kei Nishikori had a bittersweet feeling about his opponent in the opening round of the Tokyo Open.

The veteran is back in the Japanese capital ready to perform in front of his home crowd once again.

The former World number four won the title back in 2012 and 2014, and he is relishing the chance to fight for the championship again.

But the former US Open runner-up faces a very tricky opponent in the first round and it is someone the 34-year-old knows all too well.

What did Kei Nishikori say about his first round opponent at the Tokyo Open?

Nishikori will receive plenty of support when he takes to the court at the Tokyo Open. The 12-time ATP Tour title winner will certainly welcome the backing of the home crowd when he takes on Marin Cilic in round one.

The pair have contested several matches over the years at some of the game’s biggest tournaments. Furthermore, Cilic enters this match full of confidence after winning the Hangzhou Open. In the process, Cilic became the lowest ranked player in history to win an ATP Tour title.

Though he has a winning head-to-head record against the Croatian, Nishikori felt both nervous and excited about facing his old rival.

“I feel a little bit of a different feeling, a strange feeling when I saw the draw,” Nishikori told the ATP Tour’s YouTube channel.

“We had a similar situation last year where we had an injury and he couldn’t play for a long time. He has been playing well now and I am happy to see him back.

“We are close in age, and we are rivals but good friends. It’s good to see him in a draw too. I didn’t want to play him but I will try to enjoy playing Marin!”

What is Kei Nishikori’s and Marin Cilic’s head-to-head record?

Nishikori and Cilic have played one another 15 times over the course of 10 years.

The Japanese star has won nine of those encounters, including their last two matches which came at the Monte Carlo Masters and US Open in 2018.

The Tokyo Open will mark the pair’s 16th meeting and a first in six years, which took place at Flushing Meadows and Nishikori triumphed in five sets, four years after Cilic won their US Open final.

Nishikori is looking to defeat Cilic for the tenth time while Cilic is aiming for his seventh and a first victory over his old rival since 2016.