INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

September 17, 2020

Kei Nishikori

Press Conference

L. MUSETTI/K. Nishikori

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Sorry about your loss, but you understand the Italians are very much excited about this young 18-year-old boy who is in the last 16. What is your impression about him and how do you think you played? Do you think you were only not at your best because of different reasons or not?

KEI NISHIKORI: Well, obviously he was playing good. He's a good player, I think, especially on clay.

I don't know how he's gonna play on hard, but for sure he's gonna have a lot of power on the clay. Good backhand, too. Good serve. He can come in well. He can do pretty much everything. That's I think big weapon for him.

Well, for me, I'm not quite there yet. I need more matches to have more rhythm, but yeah, I would say he's gonna be pretty good.

Q. Do you think that volley in the second set, that backhand volley that you put into the net would have changed something?

KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, maybe, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I hit pretty good return, and I should have made that one, that's for sure.

If I could -- well, I had a couple chance in the second set, too. I think we both had chance on return game, and if I could, yeah, convert that one, maybe things change, yeah.

Q. You have played many, many young guys in your career. You were also yourself the sort of young prospect, very promising. You think that it's quite strange that there are two Italians like him and Sinner, the same time? Who have you seen better between the two and as a prospect? Do you remember some 18-year-olds playing so well?

KEI NISHIKORI: Well, I like Sinner. I mean, I didn't know Musetti before, so I didn't know, but, yeah, I mean, Musetti is also very good. I mean, he has everything, like I said.

But Sinner has been playing really well. He has big power, big serve, big forehand. I think I would say he should win some tournaments, at least 250 or 500. I'm sure he has that good tennis he has already. I'm sure he's gonna be, you know, top, I don't know, top 30, top 20 soon.