Rei Sakamoto Fires 19 Aces to Defeat Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 (3) at US Open

Rei Sakamoto secured his first US Open main draw appearance by overcoming 2014 finalist Kei Nishikori in a straight-sets qualifying victory.

Rei Sakamoto secured a position in the US Open main draw on Friday by defeating Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the final round of qualifying. The 20-year-old Japanese player utilized 19 aces to overcome his opponent, delivering the final serve at high velocity immediately after Nishikori had successfully saved two match points. This victory in New York marks a definitive transition in Japanese tennis as the younger athlete claimed the specific tournament slot that the 36-year-old veteran sought for his final Grand Slam appearance at Flushing Meadows.

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The match concluded in two sets, with Sakamoto winning the opening frame 6-4 before navigating a second-set tiebreak to win 7-6 (3). While Nishikori managed to fend off two match points during the closing stages of the second set, he could not overcome the power of his countryman, who ended the contest with his 19th ace. The elder player entered the qualifying bracket via a wild card granted by the U.S. Tennis Association, as his current ranking was not high enough to provide a guaranteed entry into the 128-player field. He successfully won two preliminary matches earlier in the week but fell one victory short of the main tournament.

Kei Nishikori has publicly stated that this will be his final season of professional tennis following several years of battling various injuries. After the match, US Open officials recognized his career by presenting him with a framed portrait of himself in action. Sakamoto, who assisted in holding the portrait for a commemorative photograph, noted that he was only eight years old when Nishikori reached the 2014 US Open final. That 2014 run made the veteran the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final, a feat that established him as a superstar and a hero to the next generation of athletes.

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Despite the loss, Nishikori expressed optimism for his countryman, identifying the 20-year-old as the next top player for Japan. Sakamoto described the victory as bittersweet, acknowledging that he grew up watching his idol and feels a sense of pity that this is the legend's final year on tour. The crowd in New York chanted the veteran's name late into the second set, reflecting his status as Japan's greatest men's tennis star. The winner emphasized that his opponent's impact on the sport is the reason many people in Japan continue to follow tennis today.

Following this result, Sakamoto will move forward into the main tournament, while Nishikori concludes his final attempt at the New York major. The statistical dominance of the serve proved to be the deciding factor, as the younger player maintained a high percentage of points won on his first delivery. Nishikori struggled to find rhythm against the pace, failing to break serve in the opening set. The tiebreak saw the younger player race to a 4-1 lead before closing out the match in under two hours of play. This result ensures that Japan will have a new representative in the main draw, carrying the momentum of a significant victory over a former world number four. The transition signifies a new era for Japanese tennis as the torch is passed between generations on the hard courts of New York.