TennisSection previews the 2021 Madrid Open as Alexander Zverev (5) meets Kei Nishikori in the Second Round on Wednesday, May 5th, 2021.
Will Kei Nishikori continue to improve with every match that he plays as he looks to reach his peak in 2021 to show us that he is back and not going anywhere? Will Alexander Zverev bounce back after a very tough week in his home tournament in Munich last week? Both players can win this match if they are on top of their game, but only one will make their way to the Third Round. Who will it be?
Kei Nishikori put on an incredible comeback victory against the tough Karen Khachanov, beating the Russian in 3 sets (6)6-7/6-2/6-2. Kei Nishikori was able to maintain his composure during the extremely tight moments, and he knows that if he is able to play the same tennis he played in the second and third set, he will most likely make his way at least to the Quarter-finals here at the 2021 Madrid Open. Kei is so fun to watch as he is able to hit shots with incredible accuracy, but he is also a pioneer in shot making as he can hit anything from anywhere on the court. Will he be able to do the same against Alexander Zverev?
Alexander Zverev will be looking to bounce back from an incredibly tough loss against Ilya Ivashka in his home tournament in Munich last week, where we saw the German lose in 3 sets after he was serving for the match in the second set. Alexander Zverev has not been consistent at all for the last month, since he won the Acapulco Open, and he definitely needs to sort out his service if he wants to remain into the Top 10 in the long run, because the ATP Tour is getting more and more competitive. Zverev knows that if he is not at his best here in Madrid, he will most likely not come through a tough first opponent in Kei Nishikori.
Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori have met 3 times before, with Alexander Zverev leading the head to head 2-1. They last met at the 2018 Washington Open where Zverev won in 3 sets. However, the only time they met on clay was won by Kei Nishikori. Based on rankings and recent years performances, most people would say Zverev should win this. However, based on recent form in 2021, there is no doubt in my mind that Kei Nishikori will force Alexander Zverev into hitting too big both on his serve and on his forehand, causing errors, and giving Kei the chance to make his way to the Third Round of the 2021 Madrid Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Kei Nishikori to Win.
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