Have some fun, Date-Krumm tells Nishikori of Murray match

Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm has some simple advice for Kei Nishikori as he prepares for his Australian Open quarter-final against world number four Andy Murray on Wednesday. 

Concentrate only on what you can do on court. And enjoy it. Nishikori is the standard bearer for Japanese and Asian men's tennis having reached number 26 in the world. 

On Wednesday, when he faces Briton Murray, he will become the first Japanese man to play in the Australian Open quarter-finals since Ryosuki Nunoi and Jiro Satoh in 1932. He is also the first Japanese to reach a grand slam quarter-final since Shuzo Matsuoka reached that stage at Wimbledon in 1995. 

The 41-year-old Date-Krumm, a former world number four who made semi-finals at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the mid-1990s, is well aware of the pressure her young compatriot is under. 

She said she had noticed the increased media attention and public expectation on the 22-year-old Nishikori, whom she played mixed doubles with at Melbourne Park, and her advice to him was simple. 

"I just told him to try and enjoy it because it's a grand slam quarter-final," Date-Krumm said after their 6-3 7-6 second round loss to Italians Roberta Vinci and Daniele Bracciali. 

"It will be very difficult of course, but he has a big potential. "He has the potential to be in a semi-final or final of a grand slam. But grand slams are tough for everybody so I tried not to push him very much. 

"It's already (with) many media putting him under pressure, so the most important (thing) is to (just concentrate on) putting in a best performance." 

Nishikori had to battle through five sets to beat sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round on Monday, just two days after he was visibly fatigued following his third round victory over Julien Benneteau. If he had been feeling too tired on Tuesday he would have withdrawn from the mixed competition in order to rest for his match against Murray. 

"But I was feeling good this morning so I knew I could play," Nishikori said. 

"It wasn't too bad. 

"It was hot," he added in reference to having to play their mixed doubles match in temperatures reaching 34 Celsius. "But it was only one hour so I feel good." 

Different level 
Nishikori had also shortened his scheduled practice session before he played with Date-Krumm, who said if he had pulled out she would not have complained. 

"I know how important tomorrow's match is for him, but for me mixed doubles was just for fun," she said. 

"If he decided to not play today I would have been fine." Nishikori was aware his progress was creating interest in Japan but he was trying to block it out "I haven't thought much about it," he said in reference to the Murray match. "He's top four and they are at a different level (to the rest of the field) and it will be a tough match. 

"But like she (Date-Krumm) said, it's the first time for me to have a quarter-final in a grand slam so I want to enjoy it as well."