NEW YORK — Kei Nishikori was back in the U.S. Open spotlight on Monday but for all the wrong reasons as last year's runner-up headlined a day of first-round upsets at Flushing Meadows.
Fourth seed Nishikori, who last year became the first Asian man to reach a grand slam final, found defeat hard to swallow after squandering two match points in the 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(6) 6-4 loss to Frenchman Benoit Paire.
The 25-year-old Japanese had plenty of company at the exit following a string of opening-day upsets that included Serbian seventh seed and former world number one Ana Ivanovic, eighth seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova and 10th-seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.