Australia’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, Marinko Matosevic, has been bundled out of the Brisbane International in the first round by Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori.
Voted the most improved player on the ATP Tour in 2012, the No.49-ranked Matosevic fell 7-5 6-2 to continue his winless run in Brisbane over three years.
The Bosnian-born Victorian rued a major missed chance in the first set, immediately giving up a break at 3-1 and then getting the wobbles on his strong serve in the 11th game.
World No.19 Nishikori carried his momentum into the second set, breaking immediately and feeding off Matosevic’s errors to close out the match in an hour and 42 minutes.
Nishikori follows German sixth seed Florian Mayer and veteran Finn Jarkko Nieminen into the second round.
Mayer swept aside Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-4 6-4 while Niemenen scored a 6-3 2-6 6-1 win over Frenchman Julien Benneteau.