British men's No. 2 Cameron Norrie crashed out of the Hong Kong Open after veteran Japanese competitor Kei Nishikori reached his first ATP semi-final in nearly four years.
Nori (29 years old) lost 3-6, 6-3, 2-6 to the 35-year-old Nishikori, who dropped directly from the list of the 100 best players in the world after suffering a series of injuries over the past three seasons.
Nouri, ranked 49th, aims to rediscover the level that brought him to the top ten in 2022.
Last year, he struggled in terms of form and fitness before ending the season on a positive note by reaching the Moselle Open final in Metz.
But he was unable to match what he achieved in Hong Kong, where no seeded player remained in the semi-finals.
After his defeat by Nishikori, who reached the US Open final in 2014, Nouri is set to move on to the ASB Classic in Auckland, the final tournament before the Australian Open which starts on January 12.
Meanwhile, British number one Jack Draper He has been training at Melbourne Park as he ramps up his preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the season.
Draper, 23, missed the United Cup team event in Sydney – where Britain were eliminated in the quarter-finals – due to a thigh injury.
After continuing to work on his fitness in London, Draper traveled to Melbourne earlier this week.
World number 15, who is looking to build on it Breakthrough season 2024, He remains confident he is in good shape when the Australian Open gets underway.
However, the US Open semifinalist will play competitively for the first time since her loss at the Paris Masters on October 31.