Kei Nishikori was forced to retire from his second-round match at the ATP Japan Open on Wednesday, much to the dismay of fans.
The Japanese superstar was watched on by a packed crowd of nearly 10,000 at the Ariake Colosseum in Toyko, yet quit when leading Portugal’s Joao Sousa 4-3 in the first set.
“It was hugely disappointing to have to retire from my match,” said Nishikori, a two-time champion at the tournament.
“The problem may be from an accumulation of fatigue and stress.”
The problem was diagnosed as a left gluteal complaint.
Sousa goes on to face No.5 seed David Goffin in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event.
In the first round, the tournament lost another big name when No.3 seed and last week’s Shenzhen champion Tomas Berdych fell to Gilles Muller.
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