Tennis at Tokyo Olympics 2020: Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka Preview, Head to Head and Prediction
Kei NIshikori vs Ilya Ivashka
In the third round of the Men’s Singles at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, World No. 69 Kei Nishikori from Japan will be up against World No. 66 Ilya Ivashka from Belarus.
Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka : Match Details
Tournament | 2020 Tokyo Olympics |
Match | Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka |
Round | Third Round |
Date | 29 July 2021 |
Venue | Tokyo, Japan |
Surface | Hard Court |
Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka: Preview
Kei Nishikori continues his run at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as the local boy moves into the 3rd round of the Men’s Singles. Nishikori won a tough 2nd round match against American Marcos Giron, defeating him 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1 in 2 hours and 18 minutes to continue his hunt for 2nd Olympic Medal after he won the Bronze Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Nishikori won 96 points while Giron won 91 in a match that could’ve gone either way but Nishikori won the crucial moments that decided the fate of the match. With a straight-set win against Russian Andrey Rublev in the first round and followed by a tough 3-setter clash, Nishikori will be confident going ahead into the tournament.
Ilya Ivashka remains the only Belarusian tennis player at the Olympics as he advances into the 3rd round. Ivashka was up against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin in the 2nd round and came back to win the match after dropping the first set. Ivashka won the tie 6(4)-7, 6-3, 6-3 in 2 hours and 25 minutes to continue the Belarusian challenge in the tennis event for the Olympics.
This was Ivashka’s 2nd consecutive 3-set win after he overcame France’s Gael Monfils in another tight 3-setter in the first round. Ivashka has proved his mettle so far in the 2 matches that he has played and will have to continue doing so when he takes on Nishikori who will look to get closer to the chance of winning an Olympic medal in his home.
Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka: Head to Head
This will be the first meeting between the duo hence the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Kei Nishikori vs Ilya Ivashka: Prediction
Ivashka will come into the clash with a career Hardcourt record of 167-93 and is 3-2 for the season on the surface. He is 26-13 for the season across all surfaces. Nishikori will take the court as the favourite given his superior career record of 265-126 on the Hardcourts and greater experience of playing it on the big stages.
Prediction: Kei Nishikori to win in 3-sets.
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Sarthak Shitole
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