Valon Imeri 2025
Kei Nishikori is making his second appearance in Geneva.
By Sam Jacot
ATP Tour
Kei Nishikori earned his biggest win on clay in four years Monday when he overcame #NextGenATP American Learner Tien 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Gonet Geneva Open.
The Japanese star saved all three break points he faced in the third set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to earn a hard-fought two-hour, eight-minute win against the World No. 67.
It is the first time Nishikori has defeated a Top 70 opponent on clay since then-World No. 25 Karen Khachanov at Roland Garros in 2021. Nishikori will meet Khachanov in the second round at the ATP 250. The 35-year-old is making his second appearance in Geneva, having lost in the semi-finals in 2017.
In other action, Briton Jacob Fearnley moved past Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-1 in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. Fearnley holds a 5-3 tour-level record on clay, having made his debut on the surface at that level in Barcelona last month. The 23-year-old will take on fifth seed Alexei Popyrin in the second round.
Eighth seed Matteo Arnaldi fought off French lefty Hugo Gaston 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4 while Cameron Norrie defeated Dominic Stricker 7-6(2), 6-3.
Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner dispatched qualifier Ivan Gakhov 6-1, 6-2 and Quentin Halys beat Jaume Munar 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5). Halys will play top seed Taylor Fritz in the second round and Ofner will face Nuno Borges. Marton Fucsovics ousted Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-3.
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