Tokyo Open 2022: Frances Tiafoe vs. Miomir Kecmanovic Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Tokyo Open as Frances Tiafoe takes on Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinal on Friday, October 7th, 2022.

Will Frances Tiafoe put the icing on the cake and top off his scintillating 2022 season with a title at the Tokyo Open? He faces a tricky quarterfinal meeting against Serbia’s MiomirKecmanovic who saved an astonishing six match points against Dan Evans to reach this stage. Who will prevail?

Frances Tiafoe is on a hot streak in the second half of the campaign. The American is now an established top 20 player after his incredible run to the semifinals of the US Open last month, beating four-time champion Rafael Nadal en route. Tiafoe’s breakthrough moment at Grand Slam level was long overdue and became the first American man since Andy Roddick (reached the final in 2006) to make such a deep run at Flushing Meadows. Fittingly for Tiafoe, the tennis fraternity never doubted his immense potential and it was great to see it all come together in a fabulous fortnight in New York. He is looking to end the season on a flourish by capturing his first title of the season at the Tokyo Open.

Miomir Kecmanovic, meanwhile, reached the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Open in miraculous circumstances. The Serbian world No. 33 escaped the shackles of Dan Evans in the round of 16, saving six match points, including one engaging rally with a tweener. After last week’s surprise loss to Kovacevic in Seoul, Kecmanovic has redeemed himself in Japan’s capital. Can he cause one of the biggest upsets of the week by knocking out the fourth-seeded Tiafoe?

Frances Tiafoe leads Miomir Kecmanovic 2-1 in their head-to-head. These two players last met at the Astana Open in 2020, with Tiafoe running away victorious. The American has been in the form of his life in the second half of the campaign, picking up a career-best win over Nadal at the US Open en route to his first Major semifinal. He was also instrumental in steering Team World to a maiden Laver Cup success in London. Should Tiafoebring his A-game on Friday at the Tokyo Open, Kecmanovicwill finally run out of lives.