Kei Nishikori made himself an instant fan favorite with the Rio de Janeiro crowd after starting his Olympic campaign with a flamboyant 6-2, 6-4 win over Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday.
Trailing 1-0 in the second set, Nishikori dropped his racket after hitting a serve, but scrambled to pick it up in time to return the ball to his opponent. Nishikori then went on to win the point with a rifle-crack backhand, drawing roars of appreciation from a boisterous Brazilian crowd.
"I usually give up those points, but this time I thought 'no,'" said world No. 6 Nishikori, who is bidding to win his first Olympic medal in three attempts.