World Tour Finals preview and prediction: Berdych vs. Nishikori

Group Stan Smith action at the World Tour Finals will continue on Tuesday, when Tomas Berdych goes up against Kei Nishikori. Berdych is coming off a loss to Roger Federer, while Nishikori got blown out in his opener by Novak Djokovic.

Tomas Berdych and Kei Nishikori will be facing each other for just the fifth time in their careers and for the first time in more than three years when they meet again at the World Tour Finals on Tuesday afternoon.

Nishikori is leading the head-to-head series 3-1, including 3-0 on hard courts. Japan’s top player prevailed six years ago in Brisbane, on the indoor hard courts of Basel in 2011, and one season later in Tokyo. Berdych’s lone win came at the 2012 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, where he advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Both men are in dire need of a win on Tuesday to keep hope alive–and it will be extremely faint hope even for the victor given that Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are also in Group Stan Smith. Berdych opened with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Federer, while Djokovic made quick 6-1, 6-1 work of Nishikori.

After going down to the world No. 1, Nishikori–who recently retired from a match against London alternate Richard Gasquet in Paris–admitted that he may not be 100 percent physically. He served at 53 percent against Djokovic and won a mere 43 percent of his first-serve points.

Berdych, who owns a decent six career match wins at the O2, should be able to capitalize. The seventh-ranked Czech can pounce on his opponent’s serve and can hit through this slow court far more easily than Nishikori.

Pick: Berdych in 2

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