Japan's Nishikori was the first man representing an Asian country to break through to a Grand Slam final at the 2014 tournament before Marin Cilic stopped him in the title match.
With the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup sitting a few centimetres away from his left hand, Novak Djokovic was a contented man at his post-match media conference.
Novak Djokovic created history at the Australian Open this year. Djokovic joined a select group of players who have performed a three-peat at the majors since tennis went professional in 1968. Rediff.com's Bikash Mohapatra takes a look at the elite club of which Djokovic is the new member.
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci wore down local hopes Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to become the first Italian pair to win the women's doubles at the Australian Open on Friday.
Roger Federer fended off a withering challenge from Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to prevail 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 in Rod Laver Arena and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open tennis on Wednesday.
Juan Martin del Potro suffered the first real upset and Victoria Azarenka had a big scare, but Serena Williams and Andy Murray eased through challenging ties to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open on Saturday.
Images from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Take a walk around the Grand Slam Oval at Melbourne Park and it is easy to see why Australia has such high expectations of tennis success.
David Ferrer underlined his Australian Open threat by thrashing Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2 to reach the final of the Auckland Open on Friday and remain on course for a fourth title at the tournament.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Rafael Nadal easily avoided the embarrassment of a back-to-back first round exits at the Australian Open on Tuesday, ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2022 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Wednesday.
Two-times Grand Slam champion Pat Rafter's return to the big-time after retiring 13 years ago lasted just 73 minutes when he and his former Davis Cup team mate Lleyton Hewitt lost in straight sets in the Australian Open doubles.
Novak Djokovic is finally set to return to action next week after six months out with an elbow injury and will then decide whether to take part in the Jan 15-28 Australian Open.
The 31-year-old Spaniard has not played since he withdrew from the season-ending World Tour Finals in London in November with a knee injury. He had already withdrawn from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi that starts later on Thursday.
Samantha Stosur has suggested players at the Australian Open could boycott the Melbourne Park stadium named after Margaret Court due to the 24-time Grand Slam champion's opposition to same-sex marriage.
Johanna Konta's exhilarating run at the Australian Open was finally halted by Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals on Thursday, but the Briton leaves Melbourne Park 'hungry' for more Grand Slam success.
Novak Djokovic kept cool in stifling Melbourne heat to kick off his Australian Open title defence with a straight-sets thrashing of Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
Images from all the action on Day 3 at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday
After two years of injury frustration and bouts of depression, Victoria Azarenka is hoping a little bit of motorcycle riding and some street art will change people's perceptions and help her to a third Australian Open title. The 26-year-old Belarusian is one of the favourites for the year's opening grand slam that starts on Monday after proving her fitness following a nagging foot injury that has restricted her appearances over the past two years. Now injury free and fresh off her first title since August 2013 at the Brisbane International last week, she is looking forward to the courts she made her own in 2012 and 2013.
Second seed Andy Murray of Great Britian edged past Canadian Milos Raonic to set up a high-voltage final against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in Melbourne, on Friday.
Fernando Verdasco sent shockwaves through the Australian Open on Tuesday by defeating Rafael Nadal 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to send the former world number one crashing out in the opening round.
Photos from matches played Day 7 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Sunday
World No 1 and top seed Serena Williams was knocked out of the Australian Open by Serbian Ana Ivanovic on Sunday.
We spotted some celebs from the world of Hollywood, cricket and comedy enjoying some tennis action and here we give a glimpse of them...
A ruthless Petra Kvitova trampled on the hopes of the host nation with an emphatic 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Ashleigh Barty to reach her second Australian Open semi-final.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Wednesday.
Australia Davis Cup captain Hewitt says threatened by Tomic
Simona Halep begins her Australian Open campaign against Kaia Kanepi on Tuesday in a rematch of their U.S. Open meeting which the world number one lost in straights sets.
Russia's Ekaterina Makarova etched her name into Australian Open folklore on Monday by stunning Serena Williams 6-2 6-3 in their fourth-round match to end the American's aura of invincibility at Melbourne Park.
Images from day three of the Australian Open 2012 tennis tournament in Melbourne, on Wednesday.
A proposal to boycott the Australian Open by male players at the weekend over prize money was supported by the majority of ATP players but not followed through as it would have been unfair on tournament organisers, Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky said.
A win for Djokovic would move him past Pete Sampras (14) to outright third on the list of Grand Slam title winners.
A ruthless Andy Murray powered his way to a 6-1, 6-3 win over injury-hampered Alexandr Dolgopolov to win the Brisbane International and take a timely shot of confidence ahead of the Australian Open.
'It wasn't really a nice time to be dealing with everything'
The 20-year-old became the youngest semi-finalist at Melbourne Park since American Andy Roddick, also 20, at the 2003 tournament.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport will rule in the first week of October on five-times grand slam champion Maria Sharapova's appeal against a two-year tennis ban, the sports tribunal said on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Russian was banned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in June following a positive test for the banned drug meldonium during January's Australian Open.
Paes and Raja dispatched the pair of Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-2, 6-3 in their opening round.
Leander Paes of India and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek stunned American pair of Bob and Mike Bryan to clinch the Australian Open men's doubles trophy.
