RISING SON SHINES

Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori stunned American top seed James Blake 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to win the ATP title here.

The 18-year-old, ranked 244 in the world, claimed his first career crown and became the first Japanese man to win a tour event since Shuzo Matsuoka in Seoul in April 1992.

Nishikori, who had to qualify to get into the main draw of the 411,000-dollar hardcourt tournament, was playing in his first ATP final.

He has been based in Florida since he began training at the Bollitierri Academy at the age of 14.

Nishikori, who was playing in his first ATP tournament of 2008, had saved four match points en route to victory over third-seeded American Sam Querrey in the semi-finals.

Prior to Delray Beach, he had played in just five ATP events, posting a 3-5 record in 2007.

This season he had been battling to find his form on the Challenger development circuit.

He reached the semi-finals of the Miami Challenger in January, and four weeks ago lost in the qualifying rounds of the Dallas Challenger.

With his triumph, Nishikori is projected to rise to around No. 122 when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday.