TOKYO, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal overpowered qualifier Go
Soeda 6-3 6-2 as he began the defence of his Japan Open title in
a blur of swashbuckling winners on Tuesday.

The top seed produced some dazzling shot-making under
floodlights in Tokyo, taking the first set with a jaw-dropping
backhand lob at full stretch with Japanese Soeda marooned at the
net.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Spain’s David Ferrer produced a clinical 6-4 6-3 victory over local hope Kei Nishikori to reach the last 16 of the Japan Open on Tuesday.

Third seed Ferrer had lost his only previous meeting with Nishikori at the 2008 U.S. Open but slammed the door quickly on the Japanese number one under floodlights on a chilly Tokyo evening.

TOKYO, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Spain’s David Ferrer produced a
clinical 6-4 6-3 victory over local hope Kei Nishikori to reach
the last 16 of the Japan Open on Tuesday.

Third seed Ferrer had lost his only previous meeting with
Nishikori at the 2008 U.S. Open but slammed the door quickly on
the Japanese number one under floodlights on a chilly Tokyo
evening.

TOKYO, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Fourth seed Mardy Fish survived a
scare to beat teenager Ryan Harrison 6-4 3-6 7-5 at the Japan
Open on Monday in a titanic struggle between the present and
future of American tennis.

Top seed and defending champion Rafa Nadal and Britain’s
Andy Murray lead a strong field at the $1.34 million tournament
on Tokyo Bay but neither were involved on the opening day.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska upset Russian fourth seed Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2 to claim the biggest title of her career at the Pan Pacific Open on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, seeded ninth at the $2.05 million event, started slowly when she dropped the first two games but roared back to win the next five as Zvonareva prowled the baseline muttering angrily to herself.

TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska upset
Russian fourth seed Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2 to claim the biggest
title of her career at the Pan Pacific Open on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, seeded ninth at the $2.05 million event,
started slowly when she dropped the first two games but roared
back to win the next five as Zvonareva prowled the baseline
muttering angrily to herself.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Fourth seed Vera Zvonareva bundled Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova out of the Pan Pacific Open with a 7-6 6-0 victory on Friday to book a place in the Tokyo finals.

The Russian faces Agnieszka Radwanska for the title on Saturday after the Pole beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3 4-6 6-2 under a setting sun in the second semi-final.

TOKYO, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Fourth seed Vera Zvonareva
bundled Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova out of the Pan Pacific
Open with a 7-6 6-0 victory on Friday to book a place in the
Tokyo finals.

The Russian faces Agnieszka Radwanska for the title on
Saturday after the Pole beat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3
4-6 6-2 under a setting sun in the second semi-final.

TOKYO, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Japan’s top golfer Ryo Ishikawa
has been fined $26,000 for pulling out of two tournaments in
August and September, the JGTO Tour said on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old withdrew from the Kansai Open and last
week’s Toshin tournament, which he missed for the second year
running, citing a sore shoulder.

SAITAMA, Japan (Reuters) – Japan squeezed past North Korea 1-0 on Friday with a dramatic injury-time winner in a politically charged World Cup qualifier spared the full fury of a powerful approaching typhoon.

Defender Maya Yoshida rose to head home four minutes into stoppage time in rain-lashed Saitama in their opening match in the third round of regional 2014 World Cup qualifiers.