Delray Beach R1 previews and predictions: Del Potro vs. Nishioka, Tiafoe vs. Evans

Juan Martin Del Potro will be in action for the first time since the 2018 Shanghai Masters as he takes on Yoshihito Nishioka in the Delay Beach first round on Tuesday. No. 3 seed Frances Tiafoe begins his title defense against qualifier Daniel Evans.

(1) WC Juan Martin Del Potro vs. Yoshihito Nishioka

This will be the first-ever meeting between Juan Martin del Potro and Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. Del Potro rolled into the Shanghai Masters off the U.S. Open and Beijing finals. He dispatched Richard Gasquet in the second round, but was forced to retire against Borna Coric with an unexpected knee injury. The Argentine has had a long, unfortunate history with physical issues–although it is usually his wrist that sidelines him.

Del Potro missed the Australian Ope, and makes his 2019 debut in Delray Beach. Thanks to a relatively short layoff by his standards, Del Potro’s ranking hasn’t suffered; he is still world No. 4. It’s an unfortunate draw for world No. 72 Nishioka. The Japanese lefty, nearly a foot shorter than his 6’6” opponent, has already made some waves in 2019. He came up through qualifying in Sydney to reach the quarterfinals, but he bowed out in Melbourne in the second round to Karen Khachanov.

Even if Del Potro shows some signs of rust, this will be a big ask of Nishioka. Expect Del Potro’s power to be too much for the underdog.

Cheryl pick: Del Potro in 2

Ricky pick: Del Potro in 2

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(3) Frances Tiafoe vs. (Q) Daniel Evans

American Frances Tiafoe cracked the top 30 for the first time a few weeks ago and now finds himself at a career-high No. 29. The rankings surge is thanks in part to an excellent showing at the Australian Open, where he advanced to the quarterfinals before going out to Rafael Nadal. Tiafoe should come into Delray well-rested, as he suffered an second round ouster in New York last week.

Opponent Daniel Evans is ranked 148th. He spends part of his year on the Challenger circuit and is ranked too low to gain direct entry into most ATP-level tournaments. The Brit has had good success in qualies so far in 2019, however. He came through three rounds of qualifying to earn his spot at the Australian Open and even won his first-round match.

With Tiafoe playing as well as he is–and in front of the home U.S. crowd–the American should roll through in straight sets.

Cheryl pick: Tiafoe in 2

Ricky pick: Tiafoe in 2

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