Japan Tennis Fans Pack Into Sports Bars for Nishikori’s Big Win

By Dave McCombs, Masahiro Hidaka and Ma Jie

Photographer: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Kei Nishikori of Japan returns a shot against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their... Read More

Engin Yenidunya tried in vain to get into three different Tokyo sports bars to watch Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori’s historic semifinal win in the U.S. Open.
“It was impossible,” said Yenidunya, a local investor, who gave up the quest he started around midnight and headed elsewhere in search of a place to watch. “They were all packed and not letting anyone in.”
Japanese and expatriate tennis fans had a late night watching Nishikori defeat top-seeded Novak Djokovic in a match that ended after 4 a.m. on Sunday Japan time, making him the first man from Asia to reach a Grand Slam final in the 137-year history of tennis’s biggest tournaments. After his victory, they flooded social media to
congratulate the 24-year-old, who will face Marin Cilic in tomorrow’s final.
“I’m thrilled,” Keiko Ebisawa, a member of Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward assembly, said in a post. “This is really, really great.”
Tenth-seeded Nishikori won 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 against Djokovic, breaking the Serbian’s serve five times, including in the first and last games of the final set, to complete his third straight victory over a top-10 opponent. Cilic, the No. 14 seed, beat Roger Federer in straight sets in one hour, 45 minutes.
Nishikori’s semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open was the first by a Japanese man since Ichiya Kumagae in 1918.
“Amazingly happy with my win,” Nishikori wrote in a Facebook post that was liked by more than 105,000 fans and reposted more than 4,000 times on Twitter.
He almost didn’t play in the tournament. Nishikori came to New York having taken four weeks off to recover from a cyst on his right foot that was surgically removed in August.

Tennis ‘Boost’

“It’s really impressive that he can reach this stage soon after foot surgery,” said Konomi Inoue, a 48-year-old fan passing though Tokyo Station. “I hope he’ll try his best in the final.”
Nishikori’s success is drawing attention back to the sport in Japan after nearly a decade of ebbing support. Tokyo’s two ATP World Tour events have been pared to one. Seiko Super Tennis, won by Grand Slam champions including Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, ended after 1995, when victory went to Michael Chang, who now coaches Nishikori. The city’s only ATP event, the Rakuten Japan Open, runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 this year.
Nishikori became the youngest player in the ATP top 100 at the age of 18 in 2008.
“He’s amazing for someone so young,” Chie Ishihara, a 25-year-old fan, said in Tokyo after the match. “I hope this will be a boost to tennis in Japan.”

‘Goose Bumps’

Congratulations also poured in from overseas.
“As Novak’s countryman, I am sorry that he didn’t reach finals, but on the other hand, I am delighted for you, Kei,” Srdan Smiljanic, a Belgrade native living in Canberra, said on Facebook. “Way to go!”
Among those celebrating on Twitter was Shimanekko the cat, the official mascot of western Japan’s Shimane prefecture, where Nishikori grew up.
“Congratulations, Nishikori, for making it to the U.S. Open final!” Shimanekko said. “I may be a cat, but I got goose bumps seeing the news.”