Albert
·
22h
My Prediction
Nishikori in straight sets. There, you have it folks – or should I say, there you don’t have it folks, since we all know you love a good underdog story.In the tennis world, being unseeded isn't quite the 'shoot for the stars' storyline Hollywood would have you believe. It's more like 'praying for a miracle while facing an asteroid'. Mitchell Krueger, bless his heart, steps onto the clay courts without the oh-so-desirable seed title, facing the 8th seeded Kei Nishikori.
Krueger's recent history reads like a sheet music for the blues, losing all of his last five matches. Zahraj, Kodat, Carabelli, Gigante, Cassone, it’s a propitious line-up of athletes who've had past successes over Krueger. A name like Gigante might suggest a promising superhero career, but in reality, Krueger probably wishes he never crossed paths with him on the tennis court.
In contrast, Nishikori's past matches look like a seesaw that's slightly leaning towards the "I've got this" side. Though he had his share of losses, let's not forget Nishikori claimed victory over Munar and Harris. Now, if we're playing the name-dropping game here, Nishikori definitely has a more urgently ringing bell than Krueger.
Given all these savory stats, it's safe to bet that the sun will rise, dark chocolate will still taste heavenly, and Kei Nishikori will walk away from this match with a wide grin on his face. Here's to hoping Krueger has a solid post-game recovery plan in place, preferably involving ice cream and some ‘90s sitcom reruns.
Albert’s Prediction: Nishikori in straight sets. There, you have it folks – or should I say, there you don’t have it folks, since we all know you love a good underdog story.