Cincinnati Masters 2022: Nick Kyrgios vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Cincinnati Masters as Nick Kyrgios takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round on Tuesday, August 16th, 2022.

Will Nick Kyrgios return to winning ways at the Cincinnati Masters? The former finalist has a tricky opener against the mercurial Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who also suffered defeat at the Montreal Masters. Who will prevail?

After seeing his 15-match winning streak come to a screeching halt in Montreal, Nick Kyrgios will not be too down on himself. After all, the flamboyant Australian achieved his other objective at the tournament and that was to attain a Grand Slam seeding spot at the US Open. Kyrgios entered the year with a fresh wave of confidence and renewed interest in the sport he so desperatelywanted to walk away from at this time last season. The 27-year-old is one of the favorites at the last Grand Slam of the year in New York, and he will have one last tournament – the Cincinnati Masters – to fine-tune his game before he heads there.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, meanwhile, will be looking to improve on his 4-7 record on hard courts in 2022. DavidovichFokina, like Kyrgios, is also a flashy a tennis player who has a penchant for pulling off the spectacular when you least expect it. He famously reached the biggest final of his career in Monte Carlo in April, scoring a career-best win over then No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round. While he has not titles to show for his hard work, the 23-year-old is one to keep an eye on during the close season.

Nick Kyrgios and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina have not clashed on the ATP Tour. Kyrgios’ defeat to Hurkacz last time out prompted fresh questions on whether the cracks are starting to appear. There was an on-court outburst followed with a few less-interested service games and finished the match losing the third set 6-1. But after an energy-sapping week in Washington, it was understandable that he was not going to operate at full fitness in Montreal. I do expect Kyrgios to bounce back at the Cincinnati Masters. He did get a few days to recharge his batteries and the match against Davidovich Fokina is unlikely to be physical.