Kei Nishikori

[Lleyton]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y28kVYU ... A&index=17[/youtube]

[Lucas]

[Lucas]

Finał w Wiedniu.

Kei przegrał 9. zawodowy finał z rzędu i legitymuje się teraz negatywnym bilansem zawodowych finałów (11-14).

Kei Nishikori - przegrane finały (14):
2018 (3) Wiedeń, Tokio, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo
2017 (2) Buenos Aires, Brisbane
2016 (4) Basel, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Kanada, Barcelona, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami
2015 (1) Acapulco
2014 (2) US Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madryt
2011 (2) Basel, Houston

[DUN I LOVE]

Przy 11-5, czyli przed początkiem serii, wydawał się całkiem ogarnięty w finałach...

[Barty]

W 4 z 9 przegranych trafiał na Rafole, reszta była do wygrania.

[Lleyton]

[Żilu]

[Damian]

2018 Comeback Nominees: Djokovic, Kubler, Millman, Nishikori

Spoiler:

Nominees made significant moves in the ATP Rankings following returns from surgery
The Comeback Player of the Year Award in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards Presented by Moët & Chandon recognises those players who have overcome injury in re-establishing themselves as one of the top players on the ATP circuit. The winner, as selected by the players, will be announced ahead of the Nitto ATP Finals.
Novak Djokovic
Two years after he last sat atop the ATP Rankings, Novak Djokovic will return to World No. 1 on Monday following the Rolex Paris Masters, after rallying from a low of No. 22 in June.
"Reflecting on what I've been through in the last year, it's quite a phenomenal achievement, and of course I'm very, very happy and proud about it," he said. "Five months ago if you told me that – I always believe in myself – but it was highly improbable at that time considering my ranking and the way I played and felt on the court."
Djokovic: I’m Playing At My Best Level
Djokovic’s 2017 campaign concluded prematurely with a fourth-round retirement at Wimbledon as he struggled with an elbow injury. On his return to the courts at the Australian Open, the former World No. 1 lost in the fourth round and decided to undergo a ‘small medical intervention’. He was left searching for answers following consecutive opening-round losses in Indian Wells and Miami, and reunited with his former coach Marian Vajda at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
From a 6-6 start to the season, Djokovic turned his season around by reaching the Rome semi-finals, Roland Garros quarter-finals and the Queen’s Club final before triumphing at Wimbledon. From mid-August, he proved unbeatable. Djokovic became the first player to achieve the Career Golden Masters as he claimed the elusive Western & Southern Open title, and he added to his trophy collection by winning the US Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Jason Kubler
When Jason Kubler was younger, his knee would swell up anytime he touched a hard court. With a hereditary knee condition, the former junior World No. 1 underwent numerous surgeries as a teenager and played exclusively on clay courts from March 2012 through May 2015 to protect his knees.
Kubler’s Titanic Top 100 Climb
After being set back by microfracture knee surgery in 2016 and a shoulder injury the following summer, the Australian made his ATP Challenger Tour hard-court debut last October at Traralgon and won the title as a qualifier. He replicated that result on home soil at the Playford Challenger to start 2018. With another hard-court title at the Winnipeg Challenger, a runner-up finish at the Vancouver Challenger, and his return to Grand Slam action at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Kubler found himself breaking into the Top 100 ahead of the US Open. In New York, he recorded his first tour-level win for four years.
In the space of 12 months, Kubler soared more than 800 spots in the ATP Rankings, climbing from No. 921 last October to a career-high No. 91 this October. “It’s almost unreal. Twelve months ago, I didn’t even imagine anything like this,” he said.

John Millman
John Millman has been here before. In 2015, the Aussie was nominated for Comeback Player of the Year, after rising more than 1,000 spots in the ATP Rankings following a shoulder injury that had left him doubting whether he could play at the elite level again. Millman again faced adversity in 2017, when he underwent another significant surgery, this time on his groin. “This one was really tough because movement is a big part of my game. Even when I was on the sideline, I couldn't do so much,” he admitted.
Time In The Gym Proving Critical For Millman In Comeback
Dropping outside the Top 200 last August, Millman began his road back with success on the Challenger Tour in the latter half of 2017, culminating with the title in his final tournament of the year. With a runner-up finish at the Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest and a pair of Challenger titles in the first half of the 2018 season, he eclipsed his previous career-high ATP Ranking of No. 60 by mid-May.
But he didn’t stop there, as he continued his climb to World No. 35 by October. Millman’s biggest moment came at Flushing Meadows, when he upset Roger Federer under the lights to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open. “I have retired in my head maybe a few times throughout my career when things got pretty tough, with my body and stuff,” he said afterwards. “It's those moments, playing on Ashe that makes all that toil worthwhile, and if times get tough down the track, hopefully I can think back to that moment.”

Kei Nishikori
Only 10 months ago, Kei Nishikori couldn’t imagine he’d be competing for a place in the Nitto ATP Finals entering the final week of the regular season. After wrist surgery forced him to miss the final three months of the 2017 season, the former World No. 4 dropped outside of the Top 10 to a low of No. 39 this April.
From Challengers To London Contenders, Kei Has Reason To Sing
Now, Nishikori stands at World No. 11, with a pair of ATP World Tour 500 finals in Tokyo and Vienna in October giving him a chance to take his place among the elite eight at The O2. “It wasn't easy to imagine but now, the last couple of months especially, I've been playing really well and have a lot of confidence, “ he said. “I'm happy to be back at this level.”
Nishikori’s comeback campaign began with a first-round loss at the Newport Beach Challenger, but was quickly followed by a title at the Dallas Challenger and a semi-final run at the New York Open. At the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, he showed he was still a contender for the tour's most prestigious titles as he upset two Top 5 players – Marin Cilic and Alexander Zverev – before falling to Rafael Nadal in the final. He also reached the Round of 16 at Roland Garros, quarter-finals at Wimbledon, and prevailed against Marin Cilic in five sets to reach the US Open semi-finals (l. to Djokovic).

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/dj ... k-nominees

[Damian]

Read & Watch: London Hopes Nishikori, Isner Advance To Paris Third Round

Spoiler:

First-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier Anderson to play Nishikori

Kei Nishikori needed to work hard on Wednesday at the Rolex Paris Masters as he stepped up his bid for a place at next month’s Nitto ATP Finals in London. The 10th-seeded Japanese star knocked out Adrian Mannarino of France 7-5, 6-4 over 88 minutes in the second round. Nishikori needs to reach the Paris semi-finals for a chance of competing at the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November, for a fourth time (2014-16).

He will next come up against seventh seed Kevin Anderson, who has already clinched a berth in London, after the South African defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(3). Anderson, who is 45-16 on the season, saved one match point against Basilashvili last week in the Erste Bank Open 500 first round.


Watch Live

American John Isner, who is one place behind Nishikori in 10th position in the ATP Race To London, struck 33 aces and lost 13 of his service points against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in a 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(1) victory over two hours and 18 minutes.

Eighth seed Isner, who won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Zverev) in April, must reach the Paris final to potentially qualify. He will play Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the third round of the final tournament of the regular ATP World Tour season.

Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Nishikori and Isner are all in contention for the two remaining singles spots at the elite eight-player Nitto ATP Finals.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ni ... -wednesday

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlNsU2b ... A&index=32[/youtube]

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UFzuE9 ... A&index=31[/youtube]

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4K-jNu ... A&index=30[/youtube]

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onuEZrM ... A&index=19[/youtube]

[Barty]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tgWPnT ... r4kIJDYNXA[/youtube]

[Barty]

Kei Keeps London Dreams Alive, Avenges Anderson Defeat

Spoiler:

Nishikori faces Federer in Friday's quarter-finals
Just four days ago, Kevin Anderson beat Kei Nishikori to lift his first ATP World Tour 500-level trophy at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna, Austria. But on Thursday at the Rolex Paris Masters, Nishikori got his revenge.

The Japanese star defeated Anderson 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, maintaining his hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. If Nishikori did not win in the final match of the day, both Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem would have taken the two remaining spots at the season finale, guaranteeing their spots in London at The O2 from 11-18 November.

"I had to fix some things to avenge [my loss against] Kevin," Nishikori said. "I lost a few days ago, so I had to change something, and I think I did well. Maybe he didn't play his best today, but I think I played good tennis."

Nishikori, currently ninth in the ATP Race To London, is 325 points behind No. 8 Dominic Thiem and 660 points behind No. 7 Marin Cilic. Both of those players are still alive in Bercy, with Thiem facing defending champion Jack Sock on Friday and Cilic confronting red-hot second seed Novak Djokovic.


Nishikori has now advanced to at least the quarter-finals at six consecutive tour-level events, beginning with his trip to the last four at the US Open. The 28-year-old has won 19 of his past 24 matches, and he is seeking his first ATP World Tour title since 2016 Memphis.

It won’t get any easier for Nishikori, though, as the No. 10 seed next faces 2011 champion Roger Federer, who beat Fabio Fognini earlier in the evening. Federer has won five FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings in a row against Nishikori, and he leads their series 6-2.

The pair just met three weeks ago at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Federer broke three times en route to a straight-sets victory. Nishikori will take confidence into Friday’s quarter-finals, though, having moved past seventh-seeded Anderson without facing break point to advance in 80 minutes.

"I have to figure out a little bit how to play Roger again, but I think I've been playing well the past couple weeks," Nishikori said. "Hopefully I can bring that again tomorrow."

Did You Know?
Nishikori did not break Anderson's serve in the Vienna final. The Japanese star broke the South African in Anderson's first service game of the match on Thursday.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/an ... 8-thursday

[Damian]

Nishikori Replaces Del Potro At 2018 Nitto ATP Finals

Spoiler:

Popular Argentine Del Potro withdraws due to right knee injury
Kei Nishikori will compete at the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November, following the withdrawal of Juan Martin del Potro due to a right knee injury. Nishikori will join Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem at the elite eight-player event.
Del Potro, who reached a career-high ranking of No.3 earlier this season, continues his rehabilitation following an injury sustained while competing at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in October, but is unable to recover full fitness ahead of London.
“It’s frustrating for me not to be able to compete in London,” said Del Potro. “It’s a very special tournament and I’ve tried everything possible to get my knee better. The rehabilitation is making good progress, but I need more time. Of course, it’s disappointing for me right now, but I had a very good season overall.”
Buy Your Tickets
The 28-year-old Nishikori will make his fourth appearance at the season finale (also 2014-16), having reached the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals on two occasions, his debut in 2014 and in 2016 (l. to Djokovic both times). The Japanese star is only the third player since 1994 to have won an ATP Challenger Tour title (Dallas) and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in the same season, following in the footsteps of Ivan Ljubicic (2005) and Robin Soderling (2009).
Nishikori, who returned in January 2018 after a five-month lay-off due to a right wrist injury, captured his sixth ATP Challenger Tour title — and first since 2010 — at Dallas (d. McDonald) in February, but fell to No. 39 in the ATP Rankings on 2 April, his lowest position since No. 47 on 10 October 2011. He advanced to three ATP World Tour finals this year, his fourth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Nadal) in April, and two 500-level events last month: the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (l. to Medvedev) and the Erste Bank Open 500 (l. to Anderson). Since the start of the US Open, where he reached his third Grand Slam championship semi-final (l. to Djokovic), he has advanced to at least the quarter-finals at six consecutive tour-level events. Nishikori, who will finish the year in the Top 10 for the fourth time (also 2014-16), also reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final (l. to Djokovic) in July.
The Nitto ATP Finals welcomes more than 250,000 fans to The O2 arena annually, as well as generating global viewership figures reaching an average of 95 million each year, as the ATP’s best eight singles players and doubles teams compete over eight days at the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ni ... oins-field

[grzes430]

[Barty]

Kei Nishikori completes remarkable comeback ahead of ATP Tour Finals

Spoiler:

Japanese star drawn to meet Roger Federer, Kevin Anderson, and Dominic Thiem in Lleyton Hewitt Group
By Abel Morton
Last Updated: 08/11/18 3:12pm


Nishikori was ranked outside the Top 200 in January
Nishikori was ranked outside the Top 200 in January
Kei Nishikori's return to the top echelons of the men's game in 2018 has been a remarkable story.

From an injury-hit 2017 that forced the Japanese star to miss five months of action due to a wrist injury, to his incredible return to form, this season has been capped off with him qualifying for the ATP Tour Finals.

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If Novak Djokovic has a case for 'Comeback of the Year' then 'Special K' as he is known to his fans, does so too - after all, Nishikori was ranked outside the Top 20 in January when he began his long road to form on the ATP Challenger circuit.


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The 28-year-old is one of the most complete players in the game. Competent off both wings, a force to be reckoned with on the baseline that allows him to dictate play by manoeuvring his opponent from side to side in order for him to create an opening to ferociously pounce with his shot of choice.

It was these sorts of passages of play that saw Nishikori reach a career high of No 4 in the world in early 2015. By the time he reached the US Open final in 2014, he had already won three ATP titles and beaten Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

He fell to Marin Cilic in the final of the 2014 US Open
He fell to Marin Cilic in the final of the 2014 US Open
His talent in the early stages of his career was on full display. He quickly became a player with a burning desire to be amongst the best players in the world.

Playing in his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in 2014, Nishikori was beaten by Croatia's Marin Cilic in straight sets. It was a run that saw Nishikori beat then world No 3 Stan Wawrinka before coming through against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in four sets.

A painful loss it would seem as Nishikori was bidding to become the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam title but it was the coaching appointment at the start of that year to bring former French Open champion Michael Chang on board that saw both parties reaping the rewards.

Chang has been key to Nishikori's return to form
Chang has been key to Nishikori's return to form
Through his guidance, Chang became an integral missing jigsaw piece that all of a sudden fitted perfectly to the Nishikori game. Chang's calm aura in Nishikori's players box and only visibly being animated when deeming it necessary, along with his coaching expertise to encourage Nishikori to be more offensive when the opportunity presented itself took him to new heights.

Along with Juan Martin del Potro, the Japanese star was tipped to be the one of the guys that would eventually break the stranglehold that Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray had on the men's game for so long.

But just like his Argentine counterpart, it has been a career of niggling injuries. In 2009, Nishikori didn't play any of the Grand Slam events due to a persistent elbow injury. In 2013, he had knee issues during the early part of the season. Even in his breakthrough year in 2014 a groin injury halted his progress.

Nishikori will be making his fourth appearance at London's O2 Arena where he reached the semi-finals in 2014 and 2016
Nishikori will be making his fourth appearance at London's O2 Arena where he reached the semi-finals in 2014 and 2016
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Fast forward to last year and after cutting his season short in August after scans revealed a tear in one of his tendons, Nishikori was forced to ask himself the question that no top sports athlete in their prime ever was to contemplate - retirement.

What was to follow this year has seen Nishikori dig deep through perseverance, not giving up his childhood dream of becoming a professional tennis player and pure determination to reach the top of the game again.

A champion's mentality instilled by Chang and Nishikori at his own accord saw him win a Challenger event at the beginning of the year in Dallas - It was back to basics.

This was a decision Nishikori and his team will look back on whatever the outcome is at the Tour Finals next week and know that they made the right call. An incredible run at the Monte Carlo Masters that saw him reach the final only to lose to the 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal was ultimately not only a win for him but for the tennis community who were all ecstatic to see him playing his best tennis again.


"I had the most difficulty with my feelings. For the first couple of months after comeback, I didn't have sharp feelings as before. Honestly, the thought that my tennis career is over crossed my mind."
Kei Nishikori

On the way to the final, Nishikori cut through the competition, defeating Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic and Tomas Berdych. His game and confidence were finally coming together again. A quarter-final run in Rome and Wimbledon saw him back in the Top 20.

At the US Open Nishikori was about to announce to the world that he was well and truly back. A fairytale run saw him reach the semi-finals only to be beaten by eventual champion Novak Djokovic. A devastating loss to Russian Daniil Medvedev in front of his home faithful in the final of the Tokyo Open was sure to be one of toughest losses of his year but again this was progress - he was now 12th in the world rankings.

Nishikori would lose in the final of the Vienna Open to Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson in but a quarter-finals defeat to Roger Federer at the Paris Masters last week and the unfortunate withdrawal from the end of year championships due to injury from Juan Martin Del Potro secured Nishikori's berth at the tour finals for the fourth time in his career.

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Back inside the Top 10 for the first time since August 2017, Nishikori's road to the being considered one of the best players in the world started off by losing a first round challenger match at the beginning of the year.

In April, Nishikori was ranked No 74 in the year-to-date world rankings. A winner of 11 ATP titles, the 28-year-old will look back at this season as a year of undeniable triumph.

We will have coverage of the ATP Finals at London's O2 in November with every match live on Sky Sports. See TV listings HERE.

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https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/1 ... our-finals

[DUN I LOVE]

4. raz w Finałach ATP wystąpi Kei. Japończyk 2 razy grał tu w półfinale. Ten sezon zaczynał w ATP Challenger Tour, a kończy go w takim stylu.

Nishikori jest 19-6 począwszy od US Open, w tym czasie zagrał w 2 finałach, 2 półfinałach i 2 ćwiartkach.

[Damian]

From Dallas To London: Kei Caps Comeback At Finale

Spoiler:

Kei Nishikori reflects on his arduous journey back to the Nitto ATP Finals
It is quite improbable for a player to punch his ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals less than a year after sitting on the sidelines with a debilitating wrist injury. Considering that player opened his campaign on the ATP Challenger Tour, it makes the feat even more impressive.
That is the position Kei Nishikori finds himself in, as he descends on The O2 for the season finale. All attention will be on Novak Djokovic when the tournament gets underway - and deservedly so. The Serbian registered the biggest climb to year-end No. 1 in ATP Rankings history, in his return from elbow surgery. But consider where Nishikori was to open his season and you'll be equally as impressed.
In the past 20 years, only three players have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals after winning an ATP Challenger Tour title during the season. Ivan Ljubicic did it in 2005. Robin Soderling put himself in the club in 2009, en route to the semi-finals in the debut edition at The O2. This year, it was Nishikori's turn to pull off the feat.
There are few body parts as critical to success on the tennis court than the wrist. Every motion, whether it be cracking a serve or crunching a forehand or backhand, involves flexibility of the joint. If it's inhibited in any way, it can greatly compromise a player's abilities. That makes Nishikori's immediate return to the pinnacle of the game even more awe-inspiring.
"It took me a while to trust my wrist," Nishikori told the assembled media on Friday at The O2. "I don't know how long, but maybe 4-5 months after coming back. I still had some pain while playing. But now I feel much more comfortable. Luckily, I found a very good doctor in Belgium and I went straight there. I didn't have any issues with doctors, but it did take a little while for me to trust my wrist 100 per cent, so I could play my game like I want to."
Nitto ATP Finals Qualification & Challenger Title In Same Season
Player Year ATP Challenger Tour Title
Kei Nishikori 2018 Dallas, USA
Robin Soderling 2009
Sunrise, USA
Ivan Ljubicic 2005 Zagreb, CRO
Alberto Berasategui 1994 Barcelona, ESP
Thomas Muster 1990 Agadir, MAR & Cairo, EGY
Henrik Sundstrom 1984 Tunis, TUN
Tomas Smid 1983 Neu-Ulm, GER
Mats Wilander 1982 Buchholz, GER
It was mid-January and the Japanese was making his long-awaited comeback debut. But precisely where he chose to kick off his return is far from what you'd expect of a perrenial Top 10 star.
It wasn't under the bright lights of the Australian Open, surrounded by all the fanfare of the first Grand Slam of the year. Far from it. Exactly 8,000 miles away, Nishikori entered the Newport Beach Tennis Club in Southern California for a $150,000 event on the ATP Challenger Tour. And he would fall in the first round to Dennis Novikov.
Nishikori stood on the baseline, staring across the net like it was the first time he had picked up a racquet. The confidence and steely determination of a Top 10 star was missing. As he continued to flex his wrist and stretch out the tendons between points, it was apparent that all was not well with the Japanese.
But, as he moved on to another Challenger event in Dallas, Texas, Nishikori would not succumb to the pain or the doubts that began to enter his mind. With his fellow superstars battling for the Australian Open crown, while he might not have wanted to compete in Dallas, it was exactly where he needed to be.
Getting match experience and rediscovering his rhythm was essential for Nishikori in that moment. And as he stepped on the indoor hard courts of the T Bar M Racquet Club, that's exactly what he found. Rather than chasing ATP Rankings points at the tour-level, the 28-year-old was searching for confidence and he would streak to the title at the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas.

"There were two reasons behind playing the two Challenger events at the start of the year," Nishikori reflected. "It was to build my confidence and also identify how well my injury had recovered. I played terribly until Monte-Carlo in April, but I needed to play tournaments in my comeback from injury. When I look back to January and February, it's amazing that I was able to return to the Top 10. But, after my good result at the US Open and other tournaments I worked hard and played a lot of matches."
Despite departing Dallas with the trophy, Nishikori was not 100 per cent. The discomfort persisted, but it was only a matter of time before it was resolved. And it wasn't long before he returned to another final, but this time at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. Nishikori would defeat consecutive Top 5 opponents - Marin Cilic & Alexander Zverev - for the first time since 2014, en route to the final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. And he would continue to find his elite form as the season progressed, scoring a quarter-final run at Wimbledon and semi-final result at the US Open.
After falling as low as No. 36 in the ATP Rankings in April, the Top 10 was once again in sight for Nishikori after reaching back-to-back ATP World Tour 500 finals in October, in Tokyo and Vienna. And following a quarter-final run at the Rolex Paris Masters, that dream became a reality.

"I'm really happy that I'm back in London," Nishikori added. "I couldn't have seen this happening at the beginning of the year. I didn't feel like I had any confidence. I just wasn't playing good tennis at the time. Maybe after Wimbledon, I got more confidence with every tournament. After the US Open I realized that I could make it back to the Top 10 and make it back here. Everything was working much better since then. I'm really happy and I'm looking forward to one more good week here."
Nishikori qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for a fourth time in five years, having reached the semi-finals in both 2014 and 2016. He will hope to continue the even-year trend next week, but knows that escaping Group Lleyton Hewitt is no easy task. Six-time champion Roger Federer, Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem are also in the group and he opens against the second-seeded Swiss on Sunday evening.
"It's amazing how Roger is still playing well. He's one of the toughest opponents on the tour. While he's not playing as much as he used to, it's amazing how he's so physically fit. For me, I lost to him in Shanghai and Paris recently, so I have to make adjustments on Sunday. But I always enjoy playing him and it's a big challenge. I have to play 100 per cent."

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