Nishikori saves two match points and upsets Monteiro in the first round of the Australian Open

Kei Nishikori's 2025 season is off to a good start. The 35-year-old Japanese, back in the top 80 after reaching the final of the Hong Kong tournament in early January (where he lost to Alexandre Muller), faced Thiago Monteiro in the first round of the Australian Open.

The Brazilian, who had come through the qualifiers, did the work in the early stages of the match, winning the first two sets.

With just one game to go, Monteiro had two match points on Nishikori's serve at 5-4, but the ever-competitive Nishikori never gave up and turned the tide to win the third set.

At the end of a 4-hour battle, it was Nishikori who finally prevailed (4-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3).

Almost six years after their only meeting at Wimbledon in 2019 (Nishikori won in three sets), the Japanese once again dominated his opponent. He will now meet Tommy Paul or Christopher O'Connell in the second round.

"It was a very tough match. I almost forgot that he had two match points. But I tried to stay calm, even though I was almost eliminated from the tournament.

I tried to concentrate on what I could do. I tried to fight, and I played better from the fourth set onwards.

To be honest, I'd almost given up. He almost deserved to win today. But I hung in there," reacted the 2014 US Open finalist on court after his marathon match.