Atlanta QF preview and prediction: Fritz vs. Nishikori

A blockbuster quarterfinal matchup at the Atlanta Open pits Taylor Fritz against Kei Nishikori on Friday afternoon.

It’s the No. 1 seed in Fritz facing the tournament’s most accomplished overall player in Nishikori. Nobody in the draw–not even Fritz–can match Nishikori’s career accolades, but the question is if Nishikori continue turning back the clock as he comes back from yet another injury.

So far, so good for the 33-year-old. Nishikori won the first tournament of his comeback at last month’s Palmas Del Mar Challenger and now–in his first ATP-level tournament since the Indian Wells Masters in the fall of 2021–finds himself in the Atlanta quarterfinals. The former world No. 4 opened with a 7-6(5), 7-6(5) victory over Jordan Thompson before beating Juncheng Shang 6-4, 7-6(3) on Thursday night.

It only gets more difficult with Fritz on the other side of the net. The ninth-ranked American is not red hot at the moment like he has been at times during the past couple of seasons, but the summer hard-court swing is perfect for his game and he has generally played well in Atlanta. A finalist in 2019 and a semifinalist in 2021, Fritz is in the quarters this time around after defeating Yibing Wu 6-4, 7-6(5) in round two.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for me to see where my level is at. I know it’s going to be tough. He’s been playing [well]–especially on this surface he maybe has more of an advantage with a big serve and big forehand. But I’m excited to see how my level is.”

Nishikori’s current level is good enough to pull off an upset, but it will be hard to come up with that type of tennis against Fritz. This match is scheduled for the afternoon and fast, hot conditions favor Fritz. Physically, of course, the world No. 9 also has a clear edge; even though Nishikori appears to be in good shape, he is always a question mark from a physical standpoint and he has already played a lot of matches in his comeback following so much time off.

Count on Fritz taking care of business and ending what has been a productive tournament for the veteran.

Pick: Fritz in 2