LONDON: Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori successfully started the ATP World Tour Finals with a victory over Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in the John McEnroe Group.
The win on Monday helped the Japanese world Number 5 narrow the gap with the third-ranked Swiss to 210 points in the ATP rankings, Efe news reported.
The victory boosts Nishikori's chances of finishing the season third in the world rankings for the first time in his career, a spot that has been rarified air in men's tennis.
Switzerland's Roger Federer and Wawrinka, Spain's Rafael Nadal, Serbia's Novak Djokovic, Britain's Andy Murray - all of whom are virtual locks for tennis' Hall of Fame - and Spain's David Ferrer are the only players to hold the Number 3 spot since August 13, 2007.