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Jack Draper vs Kei Nishikori: ATP Vienna – First round

Jack Draper will take on Kei Nishikori in the opening round of ATP Vienna.

Jack Draper Profile

Jack Draper has the highest ranking of his career being No. 18 in the world. The Brit is 32-21 for the season and will play his first match indoors.

Draper is coming off a 7-5, 2-1 loss to Ugo Humbert in the round of 16 in Tokyo.

He won the title in Stuttgart this season.

This is his first appearance in Vienna.

Kei Nishikori Profile

Former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori is currently 141st in the ATP rankings. The Japanese is 12-9 for the season and will play his first indoor game of the year.

Nishikori is coming off a 7-6, 6-4 loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round in Shanghai.

He made to four quarterfinals this season.

In his only previous appearance in Vienna he made it to the final in 2018 and lost to Kevin Anderson.

Head-to-Head Draper leads 1-0

• Draper vs Nishikori 6-1, 6-4 (2024 Paris Olympics, first round)

Prediction and Conclusion

This is a match between two players from a different generation and a different style of play. Kei Nishikori is back from the injury that separated him from the court for two years, while Draper has the highest ranking of his career. The Brit missed the past three weeks with a minor injury, and it is a question if he is fully recovered. However, Nishikori is not capable of being a threat on Draper’s serve, so we go with the Brit to win this one in straight sets.