Kei Nishikori had already booked his practice sessions at Vienna’s Stadthalle but on Tuesday the Japanese runner-up from last year had to withdraw from the Erste Bank Open due to an injury in his right elbow. The injury had Nishikori already bow out of the Asian swing in the past weeks.
“I am very disappointed that I can’t participate in Vienna. It was a surprise for me, too. I had already booked the practice courts, but my recovery is taking longer than anticipated. The tournament is great and Vienna an amazing city and I have already promised Herwig (tournament director Straka) that I will come back next year. I wish everybody involved in the tournament a great week and I’m looking forward to returning to the court”, said Nishikor, who will be replaced by American Sam Querrey in the main draw.
Kyrgios also injured
Only a few hours after Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios also had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury. The Australian has been suffering from a shoulder injury since the Laver Cup and hasn’t fully recovered yet. “Sometimes there are such days which are really not that much fun for a tournament organizer. Yet we stay positive as the players who will play at the Erste Bank Open are still impressively strong and promise a great tournament”, said tournament director Herwig Straka. Kyrgios, who will be replaced by Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the main draw has won his first ATP title this year at the grass court tournament in Antalya.