Tokyo R2 previews and picks: Paire vs. Baghdatis, Bautista Agut vs. Kyrgios

Benoit Paire will look to build on his win over Grigor Dimitrov when he takes the court against Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday in Tokyo. Roberto Bautista Agut and Nick Kyrgios are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.

Benoit Paire vs. Marcos Baghdatis

Paire and Baghdatis will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when they clash during second-round action on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 1-1 following a pair of 2013 encounters. Baghdatis won by retirement while leading 6-0, 6-7(3), 4-0 on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam before Paire prevailed 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-4 at the French Open.

The Frenchman seems like a different player since saving two match points and stunning Kei Nishikori in round one of the U.S. Open. Paire went on to reach the fourth round of the season’s final Grand Slam and he kicked off his week in Tokyo by taking out Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday. Baghdatis’ summer started off strong with a runner-up showing in Atlanta before a hip injury halted his progress. The 49th-ranked Cypriot is looking to go at least one step further than he did in St. Petersburg and Kuala Lumpur, where he lost in the last 16. Baghdatis opened on Tuesday with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of Fernando Verdasco. Paire has been slightly more impressive of late and his incredible backhand should make the difference for a confident world No. 32.

Pick: Paire in 3

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Nick Kyrgios vs. Roberto Bautista Agut

Kyrgios finally appears to be back on track following a tumultuous summer both on and off the court. The 34th-ranked Australian at least played decent tennis in New York but got a terrible draw and lost to Andy Murray in four sets right off the bat. Kyrgios reached the Kuala Lumpur semifinals last week and did not drop a set before falling to Feliciano Lopez in a pair of tiebreakers. The 20-year-old’s Tokyo opener came on Tuesday, when he dismissed Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3.

Up next for Kyrgios is a first-ever meeting with another Spaniard, Bautista Agut. The world No. 22 could not have gotten off to a better start this week, as he trounced fourth-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-1. Bautista Agut’s forehand was once again on fire, just as it was during an extremely high-quality third-round, four-set U.S. Open loss to Novak Djokovic. Bautista Agut is simply the more solid player right now and his forehand can match anything Kyrgios brings to the table.

Pick: Bautista Agut in 3

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