LONDON – Last year's Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli used to have naps in the locker room during rain delays.
Come rain or shine, it's the way Kei Nishikori is relaxing in his hotel room. And it's worked well so far at Wimbledon for the Japanese player, who reached the fourth round for the first time on Monday.
"I try to relax in my room usually," the 10th-seeded Nishikori said after beating Simone Bolelli 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. "Yeah, I love to sleep. So I usually sleep a long time."
Apart from the naps, Nishikori said the influence of former French champion Michael Chang — one of his coaches — helped to strengthen the mental side of his game.
"He's very positive, always," Nishikori said.
"My tennis is also changing. You see ranking is much higher than last year," said Nishikori, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 in May.
— By Samuel Petrequin — https://twitter.com/sampetrequin
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