Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Kei Nishikori now faces an anxious few days to see how the neck injury he suffered in the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris responds to treatment before the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals that start in London in nine days’ time.

The Japanese sixth seed retired from his match against Richard Gasquet when trailing 7-6(3) 4-1 and looked distinctly concerned about his well-being.

Nishikori opted to withdraw from last week’s Swiss Indoors in Basel after suffering shoulder problems in both Tokyo and Shanghai. “I didn’t have much time to recover before coming here,” he said.

“After the first set, I start feeling my abdominal muscles and couldn’t really hit serves.  I couldn’t really hit 100%. If you’re not 100%, you are easy to beat so I decided not to keep on playing.”

Nishikori will now travel to London and undergo daily treatment. “There is one more week and a couple days,” he said. “I have to see how it goes, but should be okay.”

Fitness and the 25 year-old’s durability appears to be a constant problem, given the relentless nature of the ATP World Tour’s schedule. “I have been playing a lot of matches this year, maybe that’s why,” he said. “I have been hurting these couple months, not feeling 100% yet.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.