Kei Nishikori admitted he had to overcome a severe case of stage fright before marking his ATP Finals debut with an impressive 6-4, 6-4 victory over Andy Murray.
Nishikori, the first Asian man to qualify for the prestigious season-ending tournament, had the honor of playing in the opening match against former Wimbledon champion Murray on Sunday. It was a proud moment for Nishikori but his emotions got the better of him when he walked on court in front of a capacity 17,500-crowd at London's O2 Arena.
After a tense start, Nishikori eventually rose to the occasion and delivered a dominant display to defeat home favorite Murray.