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The stage is now set for the showdown between Nick Kyrgios and Nishioka in Washington. And heading into the game, many tennis fans expect a routine win from Kyrgios given his game and experience. However, things might not be super straightforward for the Aussie. It all depends on whether Kyrgios can maintain the composure and level of tennis that he has displayed so far in the tournament. As for Nishioka, he will certainly play his part too.
These two have enjoyed some big wins en route to the ATP Washington final too. Kyrgios has saved five match points in a thriller against Tiafoe. And he has also beaten Opelka for the first time, combined with good wins over Tommy Paul and Giron. On the other hand, Nishioka has been playing the tennis of his life this week. He has beaten Brooksby, de Minaur, Khachanov, Evans, and Rublev to get to the final.
Posting such impressive wins one after the other makes him a threat going into the final, and he will no doubt be confident. So which way will this one swing?
Nishioka vs Kyrgios Predictions for the Washington Final Tonight
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Taking everything into account, I believe that Nick Kyrgios will come away with the win in this one. Although Nishioka has obviously had a great week, I just think that the power and aggressive style of Kyrgios could overwhelm him. And there is a little more behind my predictions than just this, as I’ve discussed below:
Head to Head Record
These two guys have actually played each other on four separate occasions. Kyrgios has managed to beat the Japanese player in every single one of these meetings too. Then again, the first meeting they had was at a Challenger tournament back in 2014. And the most recent was in 2019. So we don’t have a whole load of recent matches to work with between these guys. Then again, it’s hard to ignore a 4-0 head-to-head in favour of the Aussie.
Previous Meeting at the Same Tournament
Above I’ve stated that their most recent meeting was in 2019. And as it happens, this meeting took place in the exact same tournament. This means that in similar conditions and on the same court surface, Kyrgios has already taken a convincing win against Nishioka. The score in their previous meeting was 6-2 7-5, which is fairly routine really. And Kyrgios is a much better competitor than he was back then, which also bodes well.
Likely Fatigue With Nishioka
The last angle that I’ve looked at this match from is the time that these guys have spent on court. Kyrgios, by nature, doesn’t often get involved in lengthy rallies. His huge serve and forehand help to keep rallies short, which means that he doesn’t get much taken out of his body during deep tournament runs. Of course, he will feel some fatigue through lengthy games such as the one with Tiafoe. But on the whole, his body won’t feel it as much as Nishioka, who is an absolute grinder out there on the court.
Take the quarter-final as an example – Nishioka was on the court for almost 4 hours in a three-set match! And this needs to be taken into account
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