Finals previews and predictions: Khachanov vs. Nishioka, Zverev vs. Safiullin

The finals at the pair of 250s to begin the Asian swing will take place on Tuesday. Karen Khachanov and Yoshihito Nishioka are squaring off in Zhuhai, while the Chengdu title comes down to Alexander Zverev and Roman Safiullin.

Zhuhai Championships: (1) Karen Khachanov vs. (8) Yoshihito Nishioka

Khachanov and Nishioka will be facing each other for the fifth time in their careers when they battle for the Zhuhai title on Tuesday. Their most recent encounter was a memorable one, and not because it was competitive. Their 2023 Australian Open fourth-round encounter had the makings of a triple-bagel, with Khachanov leading 6-0, 6-0, 6-2. Nishioka finally got on the scoreboard and actually mounted a third-set charge before the Russian prevailed 6-0, 6-0, 7-6(4). Khachanov now leads the head-to-head series 3-1, with all four matches having come on outdoor hard courts.

If there is some good news for Nishioka, it’s that this is by far his favorite time of year. Both of his ATP titles have come on the Asian swing (2018 Shenzhen and 2022 Seoul). The world No. 46 from Japan is one win away from another triumph after defeating Terence Atmane, Lloyd Harris, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Aslan Karatsev. Khachanov has posted victories over Alex Bolt, Mackenzie McDonald, and Sebastian Korda. Khachanov is 4-2 lifetime in ATP finals and has enjoyed plenty of success against Nishioka in the past, so Zhuhai’s top seed should have the edge in this one.

Pick: Khachanov in 2

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Chengdu Open: (1) Alexander Zverev vs. Roman Safiullin

Zverev appears to be all the way back from his 2022 ankle injury and he is already in position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. A title in Chengdu would only bolster his Turin chances. Zverev captured multiple fall-swing titles in both 2020 and 2021, so he loves this time of year and is on the brink of lifting yet another trophy in September. The 10th-ranked German has advanced in Chengdu by taking out Pavel Kotov, Miomir Kecmanovic, Grigor Dimitrov, and Grigor Dimitrov.

Standing in Zverev’s way of the trophy is Safiullin, who lost their only previous meeting 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-6(1) at the 2021 French Open. Safiullin is now in the midst of by far his best season on tour, having earned 15 of his 27 career ATP-level match victories in 2023. Four of them have come this week–over Brandon Nakashima, Dan Evans, Jordan Thompson, and Lorenzo Musetti. The 55th-ranked Russian is in awesome form, but this is his first-ever ATP final and it is coming against a much more experienced–and more talented–opponent. Zverev will likely get the job done in two tight sets.

Pick: Zverev in 2

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