Japan's Nishikori targets Olympics after rapid rise

Japan's Kei Nishikori serves the ball to India's Rohan Bopanna during their match at the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 tennis tournament in New Delhi April 11, 2008.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese prospect Kei Nishikori has set his sights on a place at this year's Beijing Olympics after the teenager became the first player from his country to break into the world's top 100 for 12 years.

Nishikori's victory at a challenger event over the weekend lifted the 18-year-old to 99th in the rankings published on Monday as he became the fifth, and youngest, Japanese man to secure a place within the top 100.

His win against Serbian Viktor Troicki in the final of the Bermuda Open on Sunday also raised his slim hopes of qualifying for this year's Beijing Games.

Hailed as a "boy genius" by the Japanese media, Nishikori will need to climb another 30 or so places in the world rankings to realize his goal of playing at the Olympics in August.

"I wanted to reach the top 100 before Wimbledon," said Nishikori, who earlier this month became the youngest Japanese player to win a Davis Cup tie.

"It's an honor to play for Japan and I would love to play for my country at the Olympics."

Nishikori's rapid rise began in earnest when he became the first Japanese player to win an ATP event for nearly 16 years with an upset victory over American James Blake in the Delray Beach International final in February.

Shuzo Matsuoka was the last Japanese man to reach the top 100. He reached a career-high world ranking of 46 in singles in 1992.

(Writing by Alastair Himmer; Editing by John O'Brien)