Top seed Kei Nishikori upset by Bellucci at Rio Open

Kei Nishikori shocked in opening match at the 2017 Rio Open. The top seed’s loss was the biggest early round upset at the tournament.

Kei Nishikori is the current world No. 5 in men’s singles tennis.

At 27-years-old, he is primed to make a run on tour. He remains searching for his first Grand Slam title. Since his 2014 finals appearance at the US Open, Nishikori has been a player to watch. Breaking into the top five in men’s singles tennis makes him a favorite in most matches.

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Nishikori is the top seeded player at the 2017 Rio Open. Facing Brazilian tennis player Thomaz Bellucci in his opening round match, the world No. 5 was the heavy favorite.

Nishikori was not his usual self during the match.

The Japanese tennis player is coming off of a strong performance last week where he lost a finals match at the Argentina Open. Coming into Rio, Nishikori was set to continue that momentum.

Bellucci did the impossible, defeating Nishikori in straight sets to win 6-4, 6-3. He now faces fellow countryman Thiago Monteiro in the next round of action.

The Kei Nishikori upset improves Dominic Thiem’s chances in Rio. The No. 2 seeded player advanced past Janko Tipsarević, 6-4, 7-5. Thiem’s road to glory in Rio may also be made easier with the upset over No. 8 seeded David Ferrer by Alexandr Dolgopolov. Ferrer is the 2015 champion at the Rio Open. One player to watch out for this week is Fabio Fognini, who lost the 2015 finals match to Ferrer. Fognini won his first round match in straight sets.

Next: 10 Best Men's Players in Open Era

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