Kei Nishikori was everywhere. Whether it was the left side of the court, the right side of the court or near the net, for large stretches it seemed like wherever Benoit Paire hit the ball, Nishikori was there to meet it.
Before long, they were meeting at the umpire's chair after yet another victory by the Japanese ace in this matchup against the Frenchman.
Nishikori defeated Paire 6-3, 7-5 in their second-round meeting at the Rakuten Japan Open on Wednesday afternoon at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza.