‘Sad and disappointing’ for Kei Nishikori as he withdraws from Wimbledon hurt

Kei Nishikori pulled out of Wimbledon on Wednesday, citing a calf injury he sustained at Halle in the run-up to SW19.

Kei Nishikori shown after his first round match against Simone Boelli on Monday at the 2015 Wimbledon championship. Pavel Golovkin / AP / June 29, 2015

Japan’s fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of Wimbledon on Wednesday after a calf injury prevented him from playing his second round clash.

Nishikori was scheduled to face Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo on Centre Court for a place in the last 32.

The 25-year-old first suffered the left calf injury in Halle last month when he was forced to retire in the semi-finals against Andreas Seppi.

He had needed five sets to beat Simone Bolelli in the first round at Wimbledon on Monday and felt the injury again.

“It got worse in the fifth set of that match, it hurt so much,” said Nishikori.

“It hurt to walk and run today so I decided not to play. During the first match against Simone, I hurt pretty bad. I don’t know how I fight through, but somehow I won.”

As Giraldo goes on to face either German teenager Alexander Zverev or American wildcard Denis Kudla for a third round spot, Nishikori was left contemplating another injury setback in his career.

Nishikori, the US Open runner-up last year, didn’t play from April 2009 until April 2010 after undergoing surgery on his right elbow.

Last year, he was forced to quit his Madrid Masters final against Rafael Nadal with a back injury which was still affecting him by the time the French Open came around.

“I try to prepare but I usually play 100 per cent. I cannot stop. So I cannot stop injury every time,” said the Japanese star.

“But when it happens, especially in grand slam, it’s very, very sad and disappointing.”

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