TOKYO (AP) – Surging tennis star Kei Nishikori is all the rage in Japan after becoming the first Asian player to reach the U.S. Open men’s final. His Uniqlo-brand tennis shirts have sold out, as have the Wilson rackets he uses. Thousands of people have signed up for the satellite TV channel showing the U.S. Open. Many Japanese plan to wake up early Tuesday Japan time to see if Nishikori can make history again when he faces Marin Cilic from Croatia in the finals.
___
TENNIS GEAR
Tennis players have snapped up Wilson Steam 95 rackets, which have been out of stock since late August, according to Windsor Corp., a leading tennis equipment store chain. The rackets have been popular since Nishikori’s victory in the Barcelona Open in April. Now dozens of people are on the waiting list and customers are also buying the shoes, racket strings and grip tape used by the star, Windsor says. His Uniqlo U.S. Open “Dry Ex” shirts have also sold out. They attracted attention because the company also sponsors No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic, which made the Nishikori-Djokovic semifinal match a duel between Uniqlo wearers.
___