ATP Dubai Open 2021: Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka -Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

ATP Dubai Open 2021: Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka -Preview, Head to Head and Prediction

Kei Nishikori and Reilly Opelka

 Kei Nishikori will take on Reilly Opelka in the first round of the Dubai Open 2021. Nishikori is currently the World no.40 on the ATP rankings and Opelka is the World no.39.  

Match Details

  • Tournament: ATP Dubai Open 2021
  • Match:  Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka
  • Round: First Round 
  • Date: 14th March, 2021
  • Prize Money: $13,300
  • Venue: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • Surface: Outdoor Hard Court

 Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka : Preview

Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori

 Nishikori has been ranked as high as no.4 in the world at one point. But those days are long behind him as his struggles with injuries, and poor form has pushed his ranking way back. That the last season was interrupted with Covid didn’t help his cause either. His last decent outing was at the Rotterdam Open where he reached the Quarter Final Stage of the competition. In the Quarters he was taken out by Borna Coric 7-6 7-6.

In his last tournament, Open 13, Nishikori lost to doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert 1-6 4-6. His first round opponent at the Dubai Open is Reilly Opelka. Opelka has not had the best of times on the court post the Covid enforced break. He had reached the Quarter finals of two tournaments post the resumption of the tour, the first one was at the Cincinnati Open where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas via walkover, and then at the St. Petersburg Open where he lost to Borna Coric. In the last tournament that he played in, Qatar Open , he was ousted in the round of 32 by Roberto Bautista Agut, who won 4-6 6-3 6-4. 

FS Video

 Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka: Head-to-Head

Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka

These two players haven’t met before on the tour, so the head to head is at 0-0. 

 Kei Nishikori vs Reilly Opelka: Prediction 

Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori

Nishikori is fast on the court and will look to trouble Opelka with his movement. At the Rotterdam Open Nishikori beat some top 20 players and it looked like he was getting back some form. Opelka’s biggest weapon is his serve. The almost 7 foot tall man can serve aces at will, but his movement on the court is understandably not that good.

Match Prediction: Kei Nishikori to win the match in three sets. 

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