Japanese teenage tennis superstar Nishikori advances at AIG Japan Open

After rain washed out majority of Monday’s scheduled matches at the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, players were back on the courts and grinding away on Tuesday afternoon, as all matches were played as scheduled. Among the players to advance to the second round were Japanese teenage sensation Kei Nishikori (pictured), last week’s China Open runner-up Dudi Sela of Israel and rising young American Jesse Levine.

Since losing in the first round in Tokyo last year, Nishikori has jumped from No. 253 to No. 84 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, which was supported by a singles title earlier this year in Delray Beach. In a match that last roughly two hours, the young Japanese star held off spirited American Robert Kendrick, 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-2, to advance to a second round clash with No. 16 seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain. Despite Kendrick smashing 18 aces compared to Nishikori’s 11, the 18-year-old was able to break serve twice throughout the match, while saving both break point chances the American had in the final set. Nishikori earned his 13th victory of the season with his win today.

Sela rebounded very nicely in his, 7-5, 6-1, victory over German Bjorn Phau, despite being fresh off a three-set loss to American Andy Roddick on Sunday in the finals of the China Open in Beijing. The Tel Aviv resident fired eight aces and was able to break serve on four of eleven opportunities en route to the victory. Becoming the first Israel citizen to reach an ATP level final since Harel Levy accomplished it in 2001, Sela improves to 16-21 on the year. The 23-year-old will meet No. 5 seed Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round.

Levine, a former University of Florida standout tennis star, earned himself a second round date with defending champion and No. 1 seed David Ferrer, after rebounding from a slow start to eventually knocking out Thailand qualifier Danai Udomchoke, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1. Levine earned his 8th victory of the season that is highlighted by a quarterfinal appearance in New Haven and main draw appearances at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.