Kei Nishikori has been one of the top-ranked stars in the tennis circuit for some time, but has failed to win a single Grand Slam title. The Japanese player's performance in the Wimbledon has been below par, as per his standards, with his best finish being a fourth round exit in 2014.
The fifth seed has a good chance of improving upon that record, and going a long way this time around, but as of now he needs to concentrate on his second round clash, against Julien Benneteau from France, on Thursday.
Nishikori looked in good touch in his first round encounter against Sam Groth, emerging victorious in straight sets, with the score reading 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. The Japanese looked aggressive, firing 31 winners, and he will be keen to deliver a similar match against the Frenchman.
Benneteau looked impressive in his first round match as well, winning the first two sets easily against Illya Marchenko, before coming through a tight third set tiebreaker to clinch the match 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).
The fifth seed will go into this match in confident mood, as he has defeated the Frenchman three times in the past, while losing just once, which was in 2007. The two players have only faced one another in hardcourts, so this will be their first head-to-head on grass.
Though Nishikori might have required treatment for an oblique injury in the third set against Groth, he seems to be okay as he practised for an hour on Tuesday. Benneteau will be keen to take advantage, if Nishikori shows any sign of weakness.
Nishikori is someone, who loves playing from the back of the court, and use his power to earn points. The Japanese will adopt a similar ploy against the Frenchman as well. The winner of this clash will meet either Andrey Kuznetsov or Gilles Muller in the third round.
Where to Watch Live
Kei Nishikori vs Julien Benneteau match schedule for 1 p.m local time ( 5:30 p.m IST, 8 a.m ET)
India: TV:Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD1. Live Streaming:Starsports.com andHotstar.
UK: TV:BBC Two. Live Streaming: BBC iPlayer.
Japan: TV: NHK
Switzerland: TV: SRG.
Pan-Asia: TV:Fox Sports Asia. Live Streaming:Fox Sports Play Asia.
Canada: TV:CTV and TSN. Live Streaming:TSN TV.
Europe:TV: EuroSport. Live Streaming:EuroSport Player.
France and Middle East: TV:Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
USA: TV:ESPN3. Live streaming:Watch ESPN.
Australia: TV:Fox Sports. Live Streaming:Foxtel.
China: TV:Beijing TV, LeTV Sports, Jiangsu TV.
