The battle is on between Kei Nishikori and John Isner for the No. 9 spot in the race to London. A big week in Basel pits Nishikori against Frances Tiafoe right off the bat, while Isner is facing Cameron Norrie during first-round action on Tuesday.
Frances Tiafoe vs. (5) Kei Nishikori
With two weeks left before the Nitto ATP Finals field is determined, Nishikori trails John Isner by just 20 points in the race for what could be an all-important ninth spot (if either Juan Martin Del Potro or Rafael Nadal–or anyone else–withdraws). Nishikori and Isner have spent the last two tournaments passing each other back and forth, and now it is Japan’s top play who hopes to regain his place at No. 9 during this week’s Erste Bank Open. He is coming off an impressive Asian swing, with a runner-up performance in Tokyo and quarterfinal finish in Shanghai. Dating back to the U.S. Open, Nishikori has reached at least the quarters of four consecutive tournaments.
Up first for the world No. 11 on Tuesday is Tiafoe, whom he has never faced. The 45th-ranked American is a stellar 26-22 for what has been a breakout 2018 campaign, but he appears to be wearing out down the stretch with a 2-8 record in his last 10 matches. Among his close losses are a five-setter against Borna Coric in a decisive Davis Cup rubber between Croatia and the United States and a three-setter against Kevin Anderson in Tokyo. Given that Nishikori is one of the best final-set players on tour, Tiafoe likely has to get this done in straights–and that is unlikely against an in-form No. 5 seed.
Pick: Nishikori in 3
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(LL) Cameron Norrie vs. (4) John Isner
Isner and Norrie will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Tuesday afternoon. Their only previous encounter came this spring on the red clay of Lyon, where Norrie pulled off a 7-6(1), 6-4 upset. Although Isner is no slouch on clay, he would obviously much rather contest this one on a faster surface such as an indoor hard court in Vienna. The ninth-ranked American skipped the Asian swing following the birth of his first child, but he returned this past week in Stockholm and reached the semifinals (lost to eventual runner-up Ernests Gulbis in three sets).
Norrie is fortunate just to be alive in Vienna, as he fell in qualifying to Pierre-Hugues Herbert via a 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 decision before getting a lucky-loser spot in the main draw when Richard Gasquet withdrew. The 85th-ranked Brit has earned 19 of his 21 career ATP-level match victories this year, but he has struggled since advancing to the Shenzhen quarterfinals last month. Norrie will be at the mercy of Isner’s serve, which will likely be the difference-maker in two competitive sets.
Pick: Isner in 2
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