Damien Kayat previews Kevin Anderson vs Jordan Thompson and Lloyd Harris vs Kei Nishikori in selected round of 32 matches of the Mubadala Citi Open, on the 1st of August 2023.
2023 ATP Tour
ATP 250
Mubadala Citi Open
William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 32 Matches – 1st August
Kevin Anderson 13/10 | Jordan Thompson 11/20
This promises to be an interesting ‘David and Goliath’ type clash. Former US Open runner-up Kevin Anderson enters as a wildcard this week after his recent decision to return from retirement.
The lanky South African returned to action at the recent Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. I think it’s fair to say that he exceeded expectations with a quarterfinal run (he hadn’t played competitive tennis since last year’s Miami Masters).
Anderson’s megawatt serve looked in good working order and he will certainly be looking to lean on that amazing weapon this week. The current World No.645 has an 11-8 record at the Citi Open, reaching the final here in 2017 to go with three quarterfinal appearances.
He will fancy his chances against an opponent he has really dominated in his career: Jordan Thompson.
29-year-old Aussie Jordan Thompson doesn’t possess the type of artillery that helped the South African reach two Grand Slam finals. The pugnacious Aussie has far more modest weapons and will be looking to catch the South African cold after his time in the tennis wilderness.
This has been an interesting season for Thompson. He has won two Challenger titles and recently reached just the 2nd ATP final of his career (he once again lost in the Rosmalen final).
He would lose to eventual champ Adrian Mannarino in a tight Newport quarterfinal before a disappointing opening round defeat to Kei Nishikori in last week’s Atlanta Open. That defeat to Nishikori was telling as it was also against a former US Open finalist returning to action after a long sabbatical.
The 29-year-old has a fairly humdrum 4-5 record here and will need to think of ways to combat that booming Anderson serve
Verdict: Anderson to win in straight-sets
Anderson has dominated this rivalry, winning all their previous matches- all on hardcourts- without dropping a set. And I don’t see any reason why that should change. Anderson has six hardcourt titles to his name and will have rid himself of some rust in that Newport event.
He hits the ball more powerfully off both flanks and moves surprisingly well for a player his size. Thompson’s defeat to Nishikori in Atlanta highlights his weaknesses against superior players.
Lloyd Harris 1/1 | Kei Nishikori 7/10
This should prove a fascinating match between two players on respective comeback trails. 26-year-old South African Lloyd Harris is slowly getting back up to speed after an injury-ravaged start to the campaign.
His injury travails really started when he was forced to miss the end of last season due to right wrist surgery. That injury bled into this season and the big-hitting South African has seen his ranking plummet to outside the top 200.
But there have been signs of a recent revival for the somewhat ungainly South African. He reached the semifinals in Mallorca whilst also capturing the doubles title alongside Yuki Bhambri. He then followed an opening round exit at Wimbledon with a 2nd round appearance at last week’s Atlanta Open. Let’s not forget about this guy’s massive potential.
He reached the final of an ATP 500 event in 2021 and also reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon in the same year. He is a dangerous opponent when he is healthy and he will get plenty of free points on serve here.
33-year-old Japanese star Kei Nishikori has had his fair share of injury demons over the years. The 2014 US Open runner-up was a former top-five player but until Atlanta last week he hadn’t played on the tour since October 2021.
He required arthroscopic surgery on his left hip last year and his return to action has been continually delayed. He won a Challenger event in June and returned to tour-level action in Atlanta ranked 439th in the world.
And he almost cracked into the top 350 courtesy of an encouraging quarterfinal run (he beat Jordan Thompson and Jung Shang in straight sets). Sure, he went down to Talyor Fritz in straight-sets. But he will have taken a lot of encouragement from his performance and he returns to an arena he knows well.
e won the title here in 2015 and also reached the semi-finals in 2021 (just before he was forced to indefinitely quit the tour). He has long been considered one of the best returners in the game and he will need that going up against the formidable serve of Harris.
Verdict: Nishikori to win in three
These two share the head-to-head spoils with one win apiece. Nishikori won when the pair last met in this very championship in 2021. He took down the South African in straight-sets to avenge his Dubai loss to Harris from earlier that year.
I think this will prove to be a tight match between two contrasting styles. Harris will look to play concise points while Nishikori will look to extend rallies where possible. I think the Japanese will ultimately prevail in a tight three-set match.
