Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the upcoming matches in Tokyo. The Japan Open is heating up, and we’ve got some thrilling first-round matchups lined up for us.
(7) Frances Tiafoe vs. Brandon Nakashima
First up, we have a battle of Americans as U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe takes on the resurgent Brandon Nakashima. This has been a favorable matchup for the No. 15 ranked Tiafoe, who revived a miserable midseason slump after hiring coach David Witt. He has won all four of his main-tour encounters against Nakashima, although they haven’t played since 2022.
Nakashima is ranked at a career-high 36th in the world. He started the season in rough shape, and his ranking slipped low enough to force him to qualify at the Australian Open—where he failed to win a single qualifying match. Fast forward eight months and he posted a solid round of 16 showing at the U.S. Open. Nakashima just advanced to the semifinals in Hangzhou last week, as well.
Given the matchup issue and possible fatigue for Nakashima, look for this one to go to Tiafoe—although Nakashima may take a set.
(6) Holger Rune vs. Alejandro Tabilo
Next up, we have Holger Rune, the world No. 14, facing Alejandro Tabilo, ranked No. 22 in the world. Rune has endured a wildly inconsistent season. The Dane made the semifinals in Cincinnati and hasn’t won a match since. This stretch includes crashing out of the U.S. Open in the first round against none other than Nakashima. The Dane lost his first match in Hangzhou to world No. 160 Yasutaka Uchiyama last week. It’s safe to consider his game officially off the boil.
His first-round opponent in Tokyo is Alejandro Tabilo, who is struggling to an even greater extent than Rune. The Chilean has lost six matches in a row. His solid ranking is thanks to a pair of early-season titles, but nothing of late that would suggest he is a threat to Rune.
This will be the first meeting between Tabilo and Rune. Look for the sixth seed to make his way to the second round.
Predictions
Cheryl pick: Tiafoe in 3
Ricky pick: Tiafoe in 3
Cheryl pick: Rune in 2
Ricky pick: Tabilo in 2
Conclusion
The Japan Open is shaping up to be an exciting tournament with some tough first-round matchups. While both Tiafoe and Rune have their work cut out for them, they are likely to emerge victorious in their respective matches.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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