AFP, London :
Kei Nishikori believes his strong showing at the ATP Tour Finals will provide the perfect springboard to win his first Grand Slam crown next year.
Nishikori enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2014 as the Japanese star reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open and became the first Asian singles player to qualify for the prestigious season-ending Tour Finals after climbing to fifth in the world rankings. The 24-year-old, beaten by Marin Cilic in the final in New York, used the Tour Finals spotlight to prove once again he can compete with the very best as he made the semi-finals thanks to wins over Andy Murray and David Ferrer.
Although his campaign ended with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 defeat against Novak Djokovic in the last four on Saturday, even that was an encouraging experience for Nishikori, who was closer to victory than the scoreline suggested after becoming the first player to take a set off the world number one since October.
