Kei Nishikori admits he had mixed feelings when he was drawn to face old friend Christian Harrison in the Wimbledon first round next week.
Nishikori has struggled to play his best tennis at Wimbledon, so the Japanese star would welcome a morale-boosting victory against American qualifier Harrison.
But the 28-year-old knows it could be tricky to stay focused against an opponent he has such a good relationship with.
Nishikori met world number 200 Harrison, 24, while honing his game at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
"I know him a lot actually. We practice together all the time in academy. We grow up together. It's not easy when you have to play with good friends," Nishikori told a press conference at Wimbledon on Saturday.
"I hope I can enjoy the match. Actually it's the first time to play in official match, so it's going to be exciting. Hopefully we both play good tennis."
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