Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Kei Nishikori Prediction | H2H | Stats: Miami Open 2021

The second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on the experienced 28th seed Kei Nishikori in the third round of the Miami Open. 

Tsitsipas comfortably dispatched Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-4 in the second round. The Greek smashed six aces, did not commit a single double fault, fired 18 winners, and clinched 76% of his first-serve points.

“It was a great match, especially against a guy that I probably did not have a good record playing against in the past, I started the match very strong, breaking him twice and taking a big lead in the score, and I think the things worked out by themselves after that," said Tsitsipas after claiming his second win against Dzumhur in five clashes against the Bosnian.

Nishikori dug deep for 2 hours and 50 minutes to overcome Aljaz Bedene 7-6 (6) 5-7 6-4 in the round of 64. The Japanese won 73% of his first-serve points and also saved four out of six breakpoints. 

Tsitsipas vs Nishikori: Head to Head Record

Nishikori leads the head to head record 1-0 against Tsitsipas. He beat the Greek in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Open in 2018.

“Kei is a player who has played very well in the past, and even now he can raise his level really high, l will try and be ready for the battle, it is important for me to have matches against strong opponents like him, I am going to try and take it game by game, it is a strong third round, I won't hide it, it is important for me to be ready for the match and be physically prepared," opined Tsitsipas eager to get his first win against Nishikori. 

Key Insights

• Tsitsipas has a 15-4 win-loss record this season. Only Andrey Rublev (17) has more wins than him.
• Nishikori is a former runner-up in the Miami Open when he lost the final in 2016 to Novak Djokovic.
• Tsitsipas lost in three sets in the pre-quarterfinals to Denis Shapovalov in the last edition of the Miami Open.
• Nishikori was defeated by Dusan Lajovic in three sets in the second round of the Miami Open 2019.

Tsitsipas vs Nishikori: Game Analysis

Tsitsipas possesses splendid court coverage skills and can control the rallies with his powerful forehand and one-handed backhand. He can attack effectively from the baseline by using his heavy groundstrokes. The Greek is an accomplished volleyer and quite strong at the net. 

Nishikori has a good knowledge of the conditions in Miami since he stays in Bradenton, Florida. The Japanese player has also featured in a couple of junior tournaments. 

He has fully recovered from the elbow surgery and a shoulder injury that forced him to miss one year of competitive action. Currently ranked 39, he is targeting a return to the top 10 by working extensively with his coaches Michael Chang and Max Mirnyi. 

Nishikori has an attacking playing style with a topspin heavy forehand. He hits the ball on the rise and his quick groundstrokes can unsettle his opponents. His backhand is his major weapon as he can hit it both crosscourt and down-the-line and also play wicked slices off it. 

The Japanese can struggle to finish out his service games. He can commit a lot of unforced errors when resorting to defensive tactics. Tsitsipas has a weak second serve that could be exploited by Nishikori. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Kei Nishikori: Prediction

The Greek holds the edge against Nishikori as he can create clever angles with his returning prowess. Fatigue may hit the Japanese star having spent almost three hours on court against Bedene in the previous round. 

Prediction - Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets

Featured Image Credits - ATP Tour