It will be a pair of battles of the walking wounded at the Australian Open on Wednesday: Tommy Paul vs. Kei Nishikori and Jack Draper vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis. Spots in the third round of the season’s first major are up for grabs.
Kei Nishikori vs. (12) Tommy Paul
Both Paul and Nishikori survived five-set thrillers in round one of the Australian Open and their reward is just a second head-to-head meeting on Wednesday–their first in more than seven years. They previously faced each other at the 2017 Washington, D.C. event, where Nishikori survived a 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 thriller after trailing 6-3, 5-3 and saving three match points.
Nishikori was also up to his match-point saving tricks on Sunday, when fought off two in the third set before storming back to stun Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. Paul took a much different route to the winners’ circle. Facing Christopher O’Connell, the 12th-ranked American was one game from victory at 5-3 in the fourth and three points from the finish line at 4-1 in the ensuing tiebreaker. He ended up requiring exactly four hours to prevail 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(5), 7-5. Paul needed treatment for a left-shoulder issue, while the oft-injured Nishikori was obviously running on fumes against Monteiro. At 27 years old compared to his opponent’s 35, Paul has a better chance from a physical standpoint to bounce back.
Pick: Paul in 4
(15) Jack Draper vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
This is another intriguing matchup on paper that unfortunately also has a real chance to end in retirement. Draper withdrew from the United Cup due to a hip injury and was clearly less than 100 percent during a 4-6 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Mariano Navone on Monday. Kokkinakis (hip) pulled out of last week’s Adelaide tournament prior to the quarterfinals and barely willed himself over the line in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(5) first-round defeat of Roman Safiullin.
This will all come down to fitness, but–all things being equal–the edge goes to Draper. The 18th-ranked Brit wields much more offensive firepower, so he can keep points short if he has to conserve energy. It is always more of a grind for Kokkinakis, even when he is healthy. Five-set epics are the norm for the veteran Aussie in Melbourne, and it’s unlikely he would be able to survive another one.
Pick: Draper in 5
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