2022 Rakuten ATP 500 Japan Open

[stringertom]

After a three year hiatus, the Japan Open 500 is back on the autumn ATP schedule. The Tokyo Ariake Coliseum is the venue. HC Outdoor with a retractable roof for uninterrupted center court play.

32-man draw (no byes). Defending champion Novak Djokovic is busy at the Astana Open in Kazakhstan.

#2 ranked Casper Ruud is the top seed. The original #2 seed Cameron Norrie was a late scratch with an intestinal illness that forced retirement in Seoul.

History will be made when 5’4” qualifier Yuta Shimizu (JPN) plays his 1R match vs countryman Hiroki Moriya. All records indicate Shimizu will undercut 5’6” Olivier Rochus as the shortest ever ATP player.

 

[Nostradamus]

Kyrios should win this and make the year ending final and win that too

 

[nounforcederrors]

Hope to see Cam back soon. Was it the late-night fried rice?

 

[atatu]

Wow Shimizu beat both Jarry and Purcell in the qualies, and will play the LL in the main draw.

 

[Lauren_Girl']

Oh, so Norrie pulled out? This is such a weak draw for a 500. Almost embarrassing.
I'm going to pick Kyrgios here. If he's motivated, he is much better than Ruud on hard courts. And he's already won Tokyo if I remember well.
Maybe Coric if he finds his level.

 

[stringertom]

Nakashima is looking quite solid in his first set (6-3) vs former Wimby Boys champion and IMG Academy graduate Mochizuki. He secured the lone break in the set at 4-3 and served the set out without much trouble.

 

[guanzishou]

Easy win for Brandon Nakashima. The Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki was lacking power. I think his string tension is too high from the sound of it

 

[stringertom]

Easy win for Brandon Nakashima. The Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki was lacking power. I think his string tension is too high from the sound of it

He lacked belief to. His game worked well for the first three service games but he got no traction on Nakashima’s serve so it got to 3-all but felt hopeless bcoz Nakashima was a machine holding serve. In his own service games he kept escalating his risks and Nakashima was there to make him pay when he took too much risk.

 

[guanzishou]

Oh, so Norrie pulled out? This is such a weak draw for a 500. Almost embarrassing.
I'm going to pick Kyrgios here. If he's motivated, he is much better than Ruud on hard courts. And he's already won Tokyo if I remember well.
Maybe Coric if he finds his level.

I think Norrie tested positive for Covid in Korea so he can't play in Tokyo.

Cameron Norrie: British number one out of Japan Open after testing positive for Covid-19

Cameron Norrie's hopes of reaching the ATP Finals in November are in doubt as he is ruled out of the Japan Open after testing positive for Covid-19.

www.bbc.com

 

[stringertom]

I think Norrie tested positive for Covid in Korea so he can't play in Tokyo.

Cameron Norrie: British number one out of Japan Open after testing positive for Covid-19

Cameron Norrie's hopes of reaching the ATP Finals in November are in doubt as he is ruled out of the Japan Open after testing positive for Covid-19.

www.bbc.com

These new variants have been active in Asia. How is it in Oz?

 

[guanzishou]

These new variants have been active in Asia. How is it in Oz?

I'm not following it at all, so I'm not sure. Generally, hospitalisation numbers are down.

All the latest COVID news and case numbers from around the states and territories

Here's a quick wrap of the latest COVID-19 news and case numbers from each Australian jurisdiction from the past week.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Mainad]

Wow, just ONE top #10 player in Tokyo (Ruud) while no less than EIGHT are in Astana!!!

Why have so many top guys deserted Tokyo for this new event in Astana???

 

[sportsfan1]

Soonwoo kon outplayed deminaur. Very sharp strokes but also feel with drop shots, volleys and lobs. Good match to see.

 

[guanzishou]

Soonwoo kon outplayed deminaur. Very sharp strokes but also feel with drop shots, volleys and lobs. Good match to see.

Wow that's a great result by Kwon. Just got home to watch some tennis...

Here's hoping Thanasi breaks back. Coric is tough.

 

[guanzishou]

Wow, just ONE top #10 player in Tokyo (Ruud) while no less than EIGHT are in Astana!!!

Why have so many top guys deserted Tokyo for this new event in Astana???

Closer to Europe?

 

[stringertom]

Wow, just ONE top #10 player in Tokyo (Ruud) while no less than EIGHT are in Astana!!!

Why have so many top guys deserted Tokyo for this new event in Astana???

Tokyo would have had two but Norrie is out with Covid. Tokyo also has no Shanghai to make the long journey as worthwhile as before. They did attract some strength in the 11-20 range with Fritz, Tiafoe and Kyrgios. All three of those have had better or equal results in the last six months at big tournaments than higher ranked Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Rublev so the usually reliable rankings comparison of draw strength is slightly invalid.

Astana actually has five (Alcaraz, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Djokovic, Rublev). Sinner would be a sixth without injury forcing him out.

Advantage Kazakh is mostly due to a shorter commute for the players interested in playing out the European itinerary that follows starting in Italy and Spain next week.

 

[stringertom]

Coric looked strong vs Kokkinakis. I almost didn’t recognize him with his new chin pillow. No more baby face.

 

[stringertom]

Evans imploded in the first set TB, first going a minibreak down early and unraveling further when he couldn’t get his two returns in at 4-3 and 5-3 down. Albot converted another minibreak for the 7-3 outcome.

 

[stringertom]

Nice turnaround by Evans after that shaky TB to bake a breadstick for the hungry Moldovan. Daniel then got an early break and is ready to serve it out at 5-4 FTW.

Meanwhile, Munar the native Mallorcan is spanking Ruud the adopted Mallorcan, up a set and a break.

 

[guanzishou]

Munar's indoor hard court training before 2022 really paid off. He's a much better fast hard court player now.

 

[stringertom]

Evans did serve it out, 6-7 6-1 6-4.

Munar did finish the spanking of the USO finalist 3&3. Asia was not kind to Casper, going 1-2 with losses to guys outside top 50 when the matches were played. Nishioka backed up his Seoul upset with a 250 title. Munar probably won’t get that deep in the draw but he does have a winnable R16 vs Martinez.

 

[guanzishou]

Ramkumar is literally grunting like a goat now... Baaaaa baaaa baaa aaaa aaaa

 

[guanzishou]

Let's Go Nick!

 

[guanzishou]

Let's Go Tseng!

 

[guanzishou]

Tseng elected to receive.


Good hold by Nick.

 

[guanzishou]

Nick's backhand return down the line winner is ridiculous

 

[guanzishou]

Nick's backhand dtl is just WOW

 

[guanzishou]

Awesome fh volley winner by a forward charging Nick

 

[guanzishou]

C'mooooon Nick with a double break in the second set. Serving now at 4-1.

 

[guanzishou]

Wowwwww awesome serve and backhand volley winner by Nick.

 

[guanzishou]

Tseng serving to stay in the match at 1-5

 

[guanzishou]

Nick is all business tonight

 

[guanzishou]

Failed sneak attack by Nick

 

[guanzishou]

Blistering fh dtl winner by serious Kyrgios!!!!

 

[guanzishou]

2 MP after DF by Tseng

 

[guanzishou]

GSM Nick. BH volley winner after charging forward.

BLNT Tseng!


Nick is in a very scary form!!!! 26 winners vs 11 winners Tseng. 86% first serve won vs 56% Tseng.

 

[guanzishou]

Wow Noguchi 6-0 in tiebreak of 3rd set vs Ramkumar!

 

[guanzishou]

Qualifier Noguchi wins his first match in ATP main draw!!!!

Congratulations Rio Noguchi !!!!

 

[guanzishou]

 

[guanzishou]

Moriya & Shimizu had a fast long rally that looked like a Nintendo tennis game.

 

[stringertom]

First it was Ruud in Tokyo; now Alcaraz in Astana has completed the clean sweep of #1 seeds gone in 1R and neither won a set.

Shouldn’t all 1R byes be eliminated???

 

[PSNELKE]

Not the biggest fan of Nishiokas brand of tennis but he could really go for another great run after his impressive Seoul victory. If he beats an out of form Kecmanovic, his pigeon Evans (6-0) would be next. So apart from Tiafoe, his half of the draw has opened up nicely.

Nishioka-Krygios/Coric final could be very well possible here. Would be a great thing for Japanese tennis to have Nishioka in the final

 

[Mainad]

First it was Ruud in Tokyo; now Alcaraz in Astana has completed the clean sweep of #1 seeds gone in 1R and neither won a set.

Shouldn’t all 1R byes be eliminated???

The US Open final must have really taken it out of them both!

 

[stringertom]

The US Open final must have really taken it out of them both!

The three 5-set wins a row before the final for Carlos tapped him mentally. I’m sure he’s fully physically fit by now but he did not look sharp today. An UE waiting to happen in his first straight set loss since Paris-Bercy’21 (Gaston).

 

[mike danny]

The US Open final must have really taken it out of them both!

Ruud is probably mentally defeated after losing 2 GS finals this year.

I mean I know this is basically overachievement for him, but losing 2 slam finals in such a short timespan can affect anyone.

 

[Deleted member 758560]

go ahead rakuten eagles

 

[stringertom]

Ruud is probably mentally defeated after losing 2 GS finals this year.

I mean I know this is basically overachievement for him, but losing 2 slam finals in such a short timespan can affect anyone.

He was fine more recently at LC, playing a tougher opponent and winning the pressurized opening match. Munar might have a higher ranking than Sock right now but Jack did make Tour Finals SF on the same O2 Arena court in 2017. Ruud played a great STB to win that match when all the momentum was in Sock’s favor.

It’s not mental baggage. It might be dealing with Pacific Rim travel fatigue. Due to the pandemic, this was his first trip to Asia since a lone loss at Zhuhai three years ago. A lot of more seasoned players have struggled when they go East in the fall.

Going 1-2 in Seoul/Tokyo was not a good business trip for a top 3 player.

 

[PSNELKE]

Ruud is probably mentally defeated after losing 2 GS finals this year.

I mean I know this is basically overachievement for him, but losing 2 slam finals in such a short timespan can affect anyone.

I refuse to believe that someone who "should have never made it to a major final" would be mentally defeated for losing two. If anything, he should be riding on a wave of confidence. Two major finals, two different surfaces..He'll be fine. This was just a bad day at the office. It's not like anyone expected him to dominate on HCs now, especially not indoors

 

[guanzishou]

Kwon is just more consistent and more powerful. McDonald's making too many errors.

 

[guanzishou]

GSM Kwon, just too good for McDonald. Big forehand inside out winner to finish.