Japan’s Kei Nishikori was trying his best yesterday to ignore the wave of home hype surrounding Spanish tennis hero Rafael Nadal at the Barcelona Open.
Instead, the second seed and top player in all of Asia with a number six ATP ranking is concentrating on his clay season start after training last week in Florida instead of playing the optional Monte Carlo Masters.
Nadal is back in his longtime role as king of clay after winning a ninth title in the Principality as he beat Gael Monfils in three sets on Sunday. The world number four Spaniard is now aiming for a ninth title on his home clay at the Real Club de Tenis after lifting his last one in 2013.
Meanwhile, Nishikori has run away with the recent honours in the Catalan capital and is quietly bidding to derail any Nadal hopes by claiming his own trophy hat-trick.
“I want to win the tournament again. This is my favourite tournament,” Nishikori, who had a morning training session with Russian youngster Andrey Rublev, said. “It’s the toughest ATP 500-level event, especially on clay. With all the Spanish players and Rafa in good shape, it will be a tough competition.”
Nishikori will wait for a second-round opening opponent as Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker takes on young Swedish hope Elias Ymer for the chance to face the seed.
The Japanese ace knows that Nadal, always just that little bit stronger and more motivated on his home court, remains his main target of the week. “I saw a little bit of the Monte Carlo final, it was a great match. I think Rafa is in great shape and he is playing great tennis again,” he said.
Nadal learned the name of his first opponent after Marcel Granollers defeated fellow Spaniard Daniel Munoz de la Nava 6-4, 6-3. Nadal has not lost a set to the 50th-ranked Granollers in three matches.
In other first-round results, Hungarian Marton Fucsovics put out Ernests Gulbis 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, sending the luckless Latvian to a 5-9 record this season.
Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain defeated Denis Istomin 7-5, 7-5 to line up next against German 10th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber while Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny beat Rajeev Ram 6-2, 6-2.
Croatian Ivan Dodig, a semi-finalist against Nadal five years ago, advanced to the second round over Pedro Cachin of Argentina 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.