2016 Miami Open-Milos Raonic vs Nick Kyrgios

Two of the biggest servers on tour face off in an interesting clash in Miami, with 12th seed Milos Raonic taking on 24th seed Nick Kyrgios for a place in the semi-finals at the Miami Open. This match will take place on Stadium court at any time after 19:00 Miami Time (00:00 UK Time), and the winner will face off against 6th seed Kei Nishikori or 16th seed Gael Monfils in the semi-final.

It’s been a fairly comfortable road for both so far (neither have dropped a set), though Kyrgios has arguably been more comfortable so far. The Australian stormed past Marcos Baghdatis in his second round clash and has since been fairly comfortable against qualifier Tim Smyczek and Andrey Kuznetsov, with the latter being his most difficult match so far; Kyrgios has played some strong tennis and will be tough to beat. Raonic edged Denis Kudla and 31st seed Jack Sock in tight two sets to begin with, but stormed past Damir Dzumhur in his fourth round clash and the Indian Wells finalist is seemingly back near his best coming into this clash.

Serving is certainly the biggest strength for both and the player who is able to serve at a higher percentage could have a big advantage in this clash. Both Kyrgios and Raonic have also made improvements in their overall game which has led to their recent success, but it is arguably Raonic who has the stronger overall game and the Canadian should try to use this to full effect. The 12th seed should look to return well and should also try to dictate points from as early as possible. Raonic should also look to come into the net as much as possible, as this is another area he has the slightly stronger game. Kyrgios is not too far behind Raonic in terms of overall game strength however, and should try to dictate with his forehand as much as possible. The Australian should also look to get Raonic moving around the court, as movement is an area where Kyrgios is slightly stronger

Raonic leads the head to head 2-1, with all their previous meetings being majors, though Kyrgios won their last meeting; a four set win at Wimbledon last year. Kyrgios does have an opportunity in this clash, though Raonic has been in good form of late and should have enough to just edge this.

Prediction: Raonic in 3

2016 Dubai Tennis Championships- Nick Kyrgios vs Tomas Berdych

3rd seed Tomas Berdych looks to make amends for his loss to Nick Kyrgios in Marseille last week as the two face off again in the Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-finals. This match is set to take place at 15:00 Dubai Time (11:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 8th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2nd seed Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals.

It is Berdych that has had the most comfortable road to the quarter-finals. The 3rd seed started with a strong 6-1 6-4 win over the potentially tricky Joao Sousa and continued his impressive form with a 6-2 6-2 win over qualifier Thomas Fabbiano. Following his title in Marseille it was a slow start for Kyrgios; the Australian had to battle from a set down to beat the dangerous Martin Klizan 3-6 6-3 6-2. However he was more comfortable in a 6-3 6-2 win over Mikhail Kukushkin and is in good form coming into this clash.

Berdych’s best chance to win this match is to play just like he has so far. He’ll certainly need to serve well considering how well Kyrgios has been returning of late and will certainly need to defend well, as Kyrgios arguably has the more powerful game and could dictate many rallies. However despite the loss last week Berdych has more experience than the Australian and Kyrgios could well be worn out after an extremely short turn around from Marseille. The Australian will be confident from beating Berdych last week and winning his first career title, and if he serves well he has a strong chance to win this. However Berdych, if he plays well, could have the stronger game overall.

The head to head between the two is 1-1, with Kyrgios winning 6-4 6-2 in Marseille last week and Berdych winning in four sets at the Australian Open in January. This match could well be tight and Kyrgios is certainly playing well enough to win again, though could well be worn out after a tough few days and with Berdych playing well, the 3rd seed should edge this.

Prediction: Berdych in 3

 

 

2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters- Kei Nishikori vs Nick Kyrgios

An extremely interesting match opens play on Stadium court in Shanghai as 6th seed Kei Nishikori takes on Nick Kyrgios at 13:30 Shanghai Time (06:30 UK Time). The two have never met before so there is a sense of intrigue going into a match between two high-profile stars.

It’s been another consistent year for Kei Nishikori, though he’ll be keen to bounce back after consecutive losses to Benoit Paire- in the US Open 1st round and in his home tournament in Japan. Nishikori has had many disappointing moments this year, and may not want to play Kyrgios in the Australian’s current form. Kyrgios has played well of late, with a semi-final in Kuala Lumpur and a quarter-final in Tokyo in the past two weeks pushing his ranking up 9 spaces to 32nd in the rankings, and is seemingly over his dip in form after his now infamous match against Stan Wawrinka in Montreal. He also started well here, with a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over Andreas Haider-Maurer in the 1st round.

What is clear is that in the past few weeks, Kyrgios has not only been utilizing his serve but has also been playing well on his forehand and backhand side. He is more powerful that Nishikori, so he could take control of points early, though he must try to attack at every opportunity and, most importantly, keep his head. Nishikori is still the more consistent of the two in general and has a stronger all-round game, though it is important for the Japanese No.1 to not give Kyrgios many opportunities- a high 1st serve percentage is needed, and he’ll also have to attempt to frustrate Kyrgios by defending well.

This match promises to be close and it should certainly be entertaining. Kyrgios has certainly played well of late and is playing a Nishikori who may be less confident than himself, though the better all-round game of Nishikori will be hard to break down. Overall I think Nishikori will edge this, though I wouldn’t be too surprised if Kyrgios pulled off the upset.

Prediction: Nishikori in 3

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Kyrgios fined and could face suspension following comments in Montreal

Nick Kyrgios has been fined a further US$25,000 and could face a 28-day suspension following the comments he made to Stan Wawrinka during their second round match at the Rogers Cup two weeks ago.

Kyrgios, who was fined $10,000 originally, will be suspended for four weeks if he is found guilty of Verbal and/or Physical abuse or receives fines that add up to above $5,000 before the 24th February 2016. If he doesn’t do anything worth of suspension before that date, he will receive no further punishment.

Kyrgios has not yet responded to these punishments, but went on Facebook earlier this week to deny claims from Stan Wawrinka that he had not apologised in person for his comments, posting, “I am not trying to take any more attention away from the matches in Cincy, but I have been reading reports that I did not apologise for my comments, which is untrue. I privately and publicly apologised immediately after the match last week. There is no blame game, I take full responsibility for what was said and for what has been a difficult learning experience.”

Many will be hoping Kyrgios will take note of the severe backlash of his actions and will begin to make headlines with his tennis, as he certainly has the potential to win grand slams and reach the No.1 spot. Currently ranked 37th in the world, Kyrgios will next be in action at the US Open which starts next week.

Western and Southern Open- Tuesday Men’s Predictions

The action is beginning to heat up in Cincinnati, with some of the top eight seeds playing for the first time in the men’s singles this year- it should be exciting! Here are my predictions!

Nick Kyrgios vs Richard Gasquet

It will be interesting to see how Nick Kyrgios plays, and how well he is received, following all the controversy he faced last week. Following his now infamous match against Wawrinka, he was very subdued against John Isner and thing don’t get easier for the Australian as he faces talented Frenchman Richard Gasquet here. Kyrgios famously saved match points in a win over Gasquet at Wimbledon last year but the Frenchman has won their three other meetings, including a 4th round win at Wimbledon and and easy win in the final of Estoril. Gasquet certainly seems to have the edge, probably having the stronger game, and will most likely have the backing of most of the crowd.

Prediction: Gasquet in 3

Borna Coric vs Alexander Zverev

Will these two be contesting grand slam finals in the future? It seems likely, as both Borna Coric and Alexander Zverev are showing great potential- it’s almost certainly a look into the future for the crowd on Grandstand. Both are 18 but it’s the slightly older Borna Coric who has been making more inroads so far, beating Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray and reaching a few quarter-finals and semi-finals. Zverev had to qualify for this tournament, but did well in Washington two weeks ago where he beat tricky players like Kevin Anderson and Alexandr Dolgopolov before pushing Marin Cilic in two tiebreak sets. Whilst they both may do well in the future, Coric has made more of a mark so far and probably has the edge here.

Prediction: Coric in 3

Grigor Dimitrov vs Vasek Pospisil

There could be an upset here, as struggling 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov faces the in-form qualifier Vasek Pospisil. The Canadian had struggled this year, but reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and has since played well, succumbing to John Isner twice. Dimitrov hasn’t played well this year, and lost last week in Montreal to Jack Sock despite having a match point. Dimitrov leads the head to head 2-0, including a straights set victory in Miami earlier this year, but Pospisil is in better form now and could pull off the upset here!

Prediction: Pospisil in 3

Also in action

Roger Federer should get his campaign off to a good start against Roberto Bautista Agut, but Marin Cilic has a difficult opening match against Joao Sousa. There should be lots of aces between Feliciano Lopez and Milos Raonic, whilst Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has an intriguing match against Fernando Verdasco. Tomas Berdych faces Tomaz Bellucci in his opening match.

Rogers Cup- Day 3 Men’s Picks

There is a crammed schedule in Montreal today with the remaining second round matches taking place. With some great matches taking place, it should be exciting- Here are my predictions!

Jack Sock vs Grigor Dimitrov

An intriguing match takes place first on Court 9, as 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov faces Jack Sock. Dimitrov, who has had a disappointing year following the success of his 2014, came through 6-4 7-5 over the tricky Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round whilst Sock had to battle past Adrian Mannarino 6-2 2-6 7-6. Their head to head is split at 1-1, with Dimitrov winning their only previous hard court meeting whilst Sock won their last meeting at the French Open this year, so it could be tight. Sock won his first title this year in Houston but lost in the 1st round at Wimbledon, though he did beat Richard Gasquet in Washington last week. It promises to be a great match!

Prediction: Sock in 3

Marin Cilic vs Bernard Tomic

These two face each other on Court 9 following the conclusion of the Sock-Dimitrov match. Cilic has had a pretty average year, not reaching a single final, but will have got some confidence following a semi-final run in Washington. Tomic has had a different year to Cilic; after starting the year outside the top 70 he has risen into the top 30, and has actually won more points than Cilic this year on the Road to London. It has been a difficult couple of months for Tomic- he’s having a feud with Tennis Australia and was arrested in Miami last month- but he has also defended his Bogota title in that time. Whilst Tomic has been playing good tennis, a lot of this match could depend on Cilic; if he is at his best it’s hard for anyone to beat him, but will his tennis be anywhere near that level? Cilic has won their both their previous two meetings, but they haven’t played since 2011.

Prediction: Tomic in 3

Stan Wawrinka vs Nick Kyrgios

The final match on Court Central sees two-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka face potential future star Nick Kyrgios. Wawrinka won their only previous meeting at Queens early this year 6-3 6-4, but that was coming off his French Open triumph and it will be interesting to see how well he plays for the first time since a disappointing loss to Richard Gasquet in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Before this tournament we last saw Kyrgios in action during a 4th round loss to Gasquet at Wimbledon, and he rebounded with a three set win over Fernando Verdasco yesterday. The Australian will need to be serving well to win, and would probably also have to hope his overall game, especially his destructive forehand, is firing. Wawrinka can beat everyone when he is playing at his best though he can be inconsistent and if he isn’t playing well, Kyrgios certainly has a chance.

Prediction: Wawrinka in 3

Also in action

Andy Murray and Tommy Robredo look to finish their match, which was delayed at 4-4 in the 1st set due to a rain delay. Washington champion Kei Nishikori starts his campaign against Pablo Andujar whilst Rafael Nadal plays his first match since his victory in Hamburg against Sergiy Stakhovsky. Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continues his campaign against Roberto Bautista Agut, whilst seeds Gilles Simon. Gael Monfils, David Goffin and Tomas Berdych are in action. John Isner and Vasek Pospisil face for the second time in a week.

Rogers Cup- Day 2 Men’s picks

There is a busy schedule in Montreal as some first round action and the beginning of the second round action takes place on Day 2 of the Rogers cup takes place- Here are my predictions!

Fernando Verdasco vs Nick Kyrgios

A hopefully exciting match kicks off proceedings on Court Central today as Fernando Verdasco faces Nick Kyrgios in a first round match. Kyrgios is certainly one of the characters of the sport and, whilst he is controversial, there is no denying that he has the talent to win slams in the future. However Kyrgios has struggled to win matches outside slams in the past, and will not have an easy match against Verdasco. 3 spots above Kyrgios in the rankings at 38th, he certainly has more experience than the Australian and, as shown in many matches this year, is still able to battle against opponents. It shouldn’t be an easy match for either of them.

Prediction: Kyrgios in 3

Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Grigor Dimitrov

The crowd on Banque Nationale court have a treat first on today as Grigor Dimitrov faces Alexandr Dolgopolov. 14th seed Dimitrov has disappointed this year following his successful 2014, and doesn’t have an easy match up against Dolgopolov. The Ukranian has had to qualify for this tournament, so may be tired, but is an extremely talented player and it will not be easy for Dimitrov later today. Dimtrov leads the head to head 2-1, and won their last meeting in 5 sets at Wimbledon last year. With neither of them in great form, it could be very close- it should be exciting!

Prediction: Dimitrov in 3

Andy Murray vs Tommy Robredo

The crowd in Court Central could be treated to absolute battle on tuesday evening, as 2nd seed Andy Murray faces Tommy Robredo. Murray leads the head to head 5-2, though he only just edged the Spaniard in their last two meetings- saving match points in both Shenzhen and Valencia last year in matches that both lasted over three hours. Murray is playing better tennis this year than he was last year, and Robredo has suffered a drop in form, but the Spaniard my be encouraged by his showings last year and Murray is coming off the back of a surprise defeat to Teymuraz Gabashvilli in Washington- it could be close, though it seems likely Murray will have the edge.

Prediction: Murray in 2

Also in action

Top seed Novak Djokovic is in action for the first time against Tomaz Bellucci, whilst defending champion and 10th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faces Borna Coric in a match delayed from yesterday. Also Milos Raonic faces a fellow big-server in Ivo Karlovic whilst Richard Gasquet could have a difficult match vs fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin are also all in action.