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1/12/09 4:19 PM | Ricky Dimon
Rising star Kei Nishikori pulls out of his first-round match with Juan Carlos Ferrero on Monday at the Heineken Open. Ferrero moves on to play either Philipp Kohlschreiber or Dominik Hrbaty.
What should have been perhaps the most entertaining first-round clash of the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand came to an abrupt halt in the first set when Kei Nishikori retired with an injury against Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Ferrero was leading 5-3 when the 19-year-old Japanese sensation pulled out with an arm injury.
It was Nishikori, however, who started strong. He broke the Spaniard in the opening game of the match, dictating play and looking to end points quickly. Nonetheless, the tide soon turned, at least in part due to Nishikori's physical problems. Nishikori had already taken one medical timeout prior to the default, and after dropping four straight games he finally called it quits.
"It's always nice to go through but not like this," said Ferrero. "I wanted to play this match to get some rhythm."
In the second round Ferrero could meet Auckland defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated him in last year's title match. But Kohlschreiber must first get past Dominik Hrbaty, who led Slovakia to a surprise title at the Hopman Cup last week.
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