What a recovery! Tennis player drops his racket mid-game before picking it up to win a point at the Rio Olympics

  • Kei Nishikori was serving in Day One game against Albert Ramos-Vinolas
  • The World No 6 dropped racket on ground after smashing ball over net
  • Japanese player ducked down to pick up the racket as ball was returned
  • Nishikori recovered spectacularly to take point in game he won 6-2, 6-4

By Jake Polden For Mailonline

Published: 14:31 GMT, 7 August 2016 | Updated: 14:56 GMT, 7 August 2016

A tennis player recovered in spectacular fashion after dropping his racket mid-game - by picking it up off the ground and winning the point.

Kei Nishikori, 26, was serving in his Day One match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 28, of Spain in the 2016 Rio Olympics when he made the error.

Footage of the match shows the Japanese player, who is competing in his third Games, dropping his racket on the ground after smashing the ball over the net.

Kei Nishikori was serving against Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain when he made the error

Kei Nishikori was serving against Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain when he made the error

The Japanese player, who is competing in his third Games, smashes the ball over the net

The Japanese player, who is competing in his third Games, smashes the ball over the net

Ramos-Vinolas spots what has happened and presumably thinks he has the point in the bag as he returns the ball at speed.

But The World No 6 has other plans and after ducking down to pick his racket up off the ground, recovers brilliantly by firing the ball back over the net.

What follows is a short rally between the two players with Nishikori still on the back foot running from left to right as Ramos-Vinolas places his shots carefully.

But after a couple of forehand swings, the Japanese ace turns things around and has the Spaniard reeling - forcing him to loop the ball over the net to stay in the game.

The World No 6 drops his racket on the ground after serving the ball over the net at speed

Ramos-Vinolas presumably thinks he has the point in the bag as he returns the ball at speed

The return sets Nishikori up perfectly, who sprints to the net and smashes a backhand shot across the court to win the point.

The clip concludes with fans on both sides applauding the unlikely point.

The match, which opened proceedings on Day One at the Games, saw Nishikori cruise to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over his rival.

Nishikori recovers brilliantly by ducking down to pick his racket up and continues playing

Nishikori recovers brilliantly by ducking down to pick his racket up and continues playing

The Japanese ace sends the ball over the net and a short rally between the two players ensues

The Japanese ace sends the ball over the net and a short rally between the two players ensues

The Japanese player fired a total of 20 winners in just 79 minutes to ensure his spot in the next round against John Millman of Australia.

Millman had to overcome Ricardas Berankis of Lithuanian in his first game of the competition and did so with ease, winning 6-0, 6-0.

The win is the first double bagel in the history of men's singles play at the Olympics.

After a couple of forehand swings, Nishikori turns things around and has the Spaniard reeling

After a couple of forehand swings, Nishikori turns things around and has the Spaniard reeling

Nishikori sprints to the net and smashes a backhand shot across the court to win the point

Nishikori sprints to the net and smashes a backhand shot across the court to win the point

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