Nishikori replaces Nadal in ATP top five

Johannesburg [South Africa], Apr 17 : Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori has moved up two places to the fifth spot in the latest men's singles ranking.

As a result, the 27-year-old has also replaced fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who slumped to the seventh position in the rankings issued by the ATP on Monday.

The pair met in the final of the Barcelona Open last year, when Nadal prevailed, Sport24 reported. While Nishikori has opted to skip this week's Monte Carlo Masters, the Spaniard is heading into the tournament aiming for an unprecedented 10th title.

On the other hand, Andy Murray continues to remain at the top spot and maintains a comfortable 3,695 points lead over Serbia's Novak Djokovic.

The current ATP top 10 are: 1. Andy Murray 2. Novak Djokovic 3. Stan Wawrinka 4. Roger Federer 5. Kei Nishikori 6. Milos Raonic 7. Rafael Nadal 8. Marin Cilic 9. Dominic Thiem 10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga..

Source: ANI