Japan's Kei Nishikori eyes the ball as he returns to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP)
The Associated Press
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Kei Nishikori made a winning return after three weeks out injured, beating Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1 in the Swiss Indoors first round on Monday.
The third-seeded Japanese got the prime match slot after the opening ceremony at Roger Federer's hometown tournament which is missing the seven-time champion and Rafael Nadal, who ended their seasons through injury.
Nishikori, who retired with a glute muscle injury at the recent Japan Open, eased past the 77th-ranked Serbian Lajovic.
Nishikori forced the first service break to lead 6-5 then reeled off three more breaks, and clinched the match when Lajovic's defensive lob struck the ceiling of the court.
Fourth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia also won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 against Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, fired 11 aces and dominated with his first serve to win in just 66 minutes.
Donald Young, the 77th-ranked American, came through qualifying to also win 6-4, 6-2 against Illya Marchenko of Ukraine. Young could next play top-seeded Stan Wawrinka.
Wawrinka, the current U.S. Open champion, opens Tuesday against fellow Swiss Marco Chiudinelli. Two-time Basel champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina got a wild-card entry and plays Wednesday.
Japan's Kei Nishikori returns a ball to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP))
The Associated Press
Serbia's Dusan Lajovic returns a ball to Japan's Kei Nishikori during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP)
The Associated Press
Russia's Mikhail Youzhny returns a ball to Croatia's Marin Cilic during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP)
The Associated Press
Japan's Kei Nishikori returns a ball to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP))
The Associated Press
Croatia's Marin Cilic returns a ball to Russia's Mikhail Youzhny in action during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP)
The Associated Press
Japan's Kei Nishikori serves to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic during their first round match at the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP))
The Associated Press