Modest Kei Nishikori carries Asian grand slam hopes on his shoulders
Japanese star wants to be the continent's first men's grand slam champion
His mere presence causes hysteria and pandemonium in the Land of the Rising Sun and he has no male tennis equal in a continent heaving with 4.427 billion inhabitants, yet self-effacing Kei Nishikori thinks he is simply "one" of the best players in Japan.
For a continent that has failed to produce a single male grand slam champion in decades of trying, Nishikori is now the torch bearer of Asian men's tennis.
A debut appearance for an Asian man in a grand slam final - at the US Open in September - has only served to whet his appetite for glory rather than satisfy it.
You have to be ready mentally to play seven best-of-five-set matches, that's not easy. My body has to be a little more stronger
Following his remarkable run to the Flushing Meadows showpiece, he is the first Asian to make it into the elite eight-man season finale that will be staged on the banks of London's River Thames.
"I might get nervous first time but I'll try to play my best tennis and try not to think too much of it being the Tour Finals," Nishikori said.
"Beating Novak [Djokovic] at the US Open, it was a great experience and gave me a lot of confidence.
"So for sure I know I have a chance to beat the top players, so if I can play well, I have some chance to win some matches."