Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP 500 match.
Kei Nishikori, ranked 141st, secured a spot in the main draw of the Vienna ATP 500 through a wild card. His opponent in the first round, Jack Draper, ranked 18th, is seeded seventh in the tournament. This will be the British player's first match this month.
Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori is gradually regaining his form on his favoured surface. On hard courts, he's progressed past the first round in three out of his last four tournaments, including the Shanghai Masters. The Japanese player competes well against top 20 opponents. In matches this season against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, and Ben Shelton, he either pushed them to a tiebreak or forced the maximum number of games.
Jack Draper
Jack Draper hasn't played since the Tokyo tournament at the end of September. The British tennis player was unable to complete his quarterfinal against Ugo Humbert due to an abdominal injury. As a result, it might take him some time to find his rhythm in a competitive setting. Draper doesn't frequent indoor courts often: this will be his first indoor match of the season.
Kei Nishikori vs Jack Draper Prediction
Nishikori is incredibly tenacious and rarely loses without a fight. Since early August, the Japanese player has only once lost with a handicap of 3.5 games. Therefore, even if Draper were at his physical best, he would face a tough challenge. We’re betting on the favourite.
