TENNIS in DEPTH.

Marin Cilic’s preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback on Monday when he was knocked out of the Chennai Open in the first round by Kei Nishikori. The Croatian, who came into this week’s tournament as the two-time defending champion, lost 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 to his Japanese opponent who, at 98th in the world, is ranked 84 places lower. Cilic, who was seeded second this week, broke Nishikori in the fifth game to take the opening set but the latter then turned the match on its head. Nishikori, who also defeated Cilic at last year’s US Open, fought back in a dramatic second set in which he saved three break points in the 11th game. The 21-year-old won the tiebreak without dropping a point and then broke Cilic in the first game of the third set to take an early grip on the decider. He served out for the match after breaking again in the seventh game. “I’m a little bit disappointed the way I have started the year. I wouldn’t say I played too bad … I didn’t have luck at crucial moments, the key points he played better than me,” Cilic said. “The first two sets were very close. (My) losing the second set, he took the momentum from me,” he added. “The momentum he got, the way he played after that, I could not come back.” The Florida-based Nishikori attributed his fightback to changes he has made to his game under the auspices of new coach Brad Gilbert.

“I was nervous, first match for me … new coach, new trainer. (But) it was a good match today,” he said. He will be joined in the second round by America’s Robert Kendrick, who was a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 winner over Germany’s Denis Gremelmayr. Bjorn Phau was a 6-2 6-2 winner over Italy’s Simone Bolelli, while Croatia’s Ivan Dodig defeated Marcos Daniel by the same scoreline. Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic is also through after a 6-3 6-4 win over Argentina’s Eduardo Schwank, and France’s Stephane Robert secured a 6-4 6-4 success against Andreas Haider-Maurer.

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Gilbert, who is currently a guest coach at Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, will be his new traveling coach and mentor. Kei Nishikori will be expanding his IMG Academies coaching team with a consulting role for Brad Gilbert. Gilbert , where Nishikori trains year-round under the tutelage of legendary coach Nick Bollettieri and his world class staff. Gilbert has led Andre Agassi to six Grand Slam titles and also coached Andy Roddick and Andy Murray.

“Kei is a fierce young competitor. He knows what he wants from the game of tennis. I’m excited to expand my relationship with the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy and help consult Kei during the 2011 season.” Said Gilbert. “I am excited about the addition of Brad to my team. Brad’s knowledge as a former top player, as well as his coaching success, is something that can help me become a better player,” added Nishikori. Added Bollettieri, “As a coach, Brad adds the little things to a player that make a big difference in the higher echelon of the game. Brad’s long-term relationship with the Academy and me as a student, a player, and a guest coach, make Brad a great addition to consult Kei’s coaching team, as well as to assist the program at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy.”

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Roger Federer overcame windy conditions to beat Andreas Beck 6-3 6-4 6-3 and reach the US Open third round as two leading names crashed out on day four.

The five-time champion raced to 5-0 and finally took the first set after the lively German clawed back three games.

Beck, ranked 104, kept battling but the world number two proved too strong.

Maran Cilic, the 11th seed, lost over five sets to Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori, while Richard Gasquet beat sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko.

Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic managed to avoid a similar fate in the night session as he came through 7-5 6-3 7-6 (8-6) against German Philipp Petzschner.

“I was shaky the whole match but I was able to hold on,” said the 2007 finalist.

Tougher matches will only be coming up now, I guess. I underestimate nobody

“It’s important to save energy in the opening rounds. Overall I can be satisfied with how I played. I played well when I needed to and was a little bit lucky.”

Fifth seed Robin Soderling had few problems on Grandstand as he needed just 92 minutes to crush American Taylor Dent 6-2 6-2 6-4.

The longest match of the week was not a happy one for Croatian Cilic, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at last year’s US Open, as he lost over five sets to Nishikori in a battle that lasted a minute short of five hours.

This year’s Australian Open semi-finalist started strongly and edged a nervy opening set before losing a tie-break in the next set which went on for 77 minutes.

The 20-year-old rising Japanese star, whose win was his fifth this week including qualifying, battled back from trailing by two sets to one to come through and win 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1.

“I’m pretty tired of course,” Nishikori said. “I was cramping from the second or third set but I kept fighting and fighting and that fourth set tie-break was key for me.

“It was a great match. It was hot but I am feeling great now.”

Nishikori will next face Spanish 21st seed Albert Montanes, who defeated Australian wildcard Carsten Ball 6-4 6-3 6-1.

Fededer was unable to produce the fireworks and fluidity of his first-round win over Brian Dabul, but his 15 aces and calmness when Beck did occasionally put him under pressure were enough to guide him through in straight sets.

“It’s the perfect start, sure,” said Federer. “I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today and here I am in the third round feeling like I’m completely in the tournament.

“Obviously they weren’t the most difficult matches. I didn’t have to save multiple break points or whatever. Even though I got broken today, I feel really good. Tougher matches will only be coming up now, I guess. I underestimate nobody.”

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The first three wild cards into the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club in London have been awarded to a two-time runner-up, the current Wimbledon and US Open Boys champion, and a man who Rafael Nadal predicts will be a Top 10 player in the future.

The former finalist is Sebastien Grosjean, the reigning Wimbledon junior champion is the exciting 17-year-old Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, and the man that pushed Nadal all the way in last year’s third round at The Queen’s Club is Kei Nishikori of Japan.

Frenchman Grosjean reached the final in 2003 and 2004 where he was defeated on both occasions by Andy Roddick. In both of those years, the jet-heeled 30-year-old also showed that the tournament at Queen’s is the perfect Wimbledon preparation by reaching the semi-finals at the All England Club. He will be hoping that the AEGON Championships in 2009 is the perfect launch-pad for a successful comeback to professional tennis after undergoing shoulder surgery last December.

Dimitrov is one of the most promising talents in the world and was recently described by coach Peter Lungren, who previously worked with Roger Federer and Marat Safin, as: ‘better than Federer at the same age’. He is currently at a career-high No.372 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, and still the No.2 junior player in the world despite not having played a junior event since winning the US Open last September.

Nishikori, 19, is currently the highest ranked teenager in the world at No.118, but he has been as high as No.56 after winning his first ATP World Tour title last year in Delray Beach. After several more impressive results in 2008, including a run to the last 16 at The Queen’s Club, Nishikori was voted the ATP Newcomer of the Year, becoming the first Asian player ever to win the award. He was beaten 6-4 3-6 6-3 by Nadal in the third round last year. Afterwards, Nadal said: “He is going to be a top 10 player for sure, maybe top five. I am 100 percent sure. He’s a very talented player. He needs to improve a few little things, but he’s going to be very good.”

The three wild cards will join a field that already includes the World No.1 and defending champion Nadal, World No.3 Andy Murray and four-time champions Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick. James Blake, Marat Safin and Marin Cilic have also signed up to appear. The tournament still has two more wild cards to award. These will be announced in due course.

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