Monte-Carlo R2 previews and predictions: Nishikori vs. Medvedev, Cilic vs. Verdasco

Fresh off a first-round win over Tomas Berdych, Kei Nishikori will hope to keep his Monte-Carlo momentum going at the expense of Daniil Medvedev. Wednesday’s schedule also includes a showdown between Marin Cilic and Fernando Verdasco.

Daniil Medvedev vs. Kei Nishikori

The 2018 comebacks of both Nishikori and Novak Djokovic have gotten off to slow starts, but they are showing signs of picking up the pace at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. While Djokovic destroyed fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round, Nishikori recovered from an early deficit to beat Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. The latter result marked just the fifth ATP-level match victory of 2018 for the 28-year-old from Japan, who has slumped to 36th in the rankings mostly due to a wrist injury. Nishikori had previously made early exits from Acapulco (first round against Denis Shapovalov) and Miami (second match against Juan Martin Del Potro).

Up next for the former world No. 4 on Wednesday is a first-ever meeting with Medvedev, who advanced by outlasting Marton Fucsovics 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-5 in his opener. The 49th-ranked Russian is well on his way to a breakout season at 22 years old, with an impressive 13-5 record that includes his maiden ATP title in Sydney. But Medvedev is not best-suited for clay, he needed two hours and 45 minutes to get past Fucsovics, and Nishikori looked like the Nishikori of old in sets two and three against Berdych.

Pick: Nishikori in 2

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Fernando Verdasco vs. (2) Marin Cilic

Cilic and Verdasco will be squaring off for the 13th time in their careers on Wednesday. The head-to-head series stands at 7-5 in favor of Cilic, but Verdasco won their only previous clay-court encounter 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3 at the 2015 Madrid Masters. Cilic, who is 5-1 in their last six contests, got the best of the Spaniard twice in 2016; 6-3, 6-1 at the Cincinnati Masters and 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in Tokyo.

Once a 250-point specialist (his first six ATP titles came at that level), the third-ranked Croat now thrives on the big stage. He won the U.S. Open in 2014, has finished runner-up at two of the last three majors, and eventually captured the 2016 Cincinnati title after defeating Verdasco at that event. Cilic has never been at his best on the red stuff, but he advanced to the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals in each of his past two appearances and has not lost his opening match there since 2008. Verdasco overcame Pablo Cuevas 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-1 from three match points down on Tuesday, but he had his left calf heavily taped and withdrew from doubles later in the day. As such, Cilic’s 2018 clay-court campaign should get off to a comfortable start.

Pick: Cilic in 2

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