Frances Tiafoe vs Steve Johnson Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Houston

Prediction published on 05/04/2023, 01:18  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

Top seed Frances Tiafoe will on Wednesday begin his US Men’s Clay Court Championship against wildcard, Steve Johnson. Johnson has won the previous two matches between the two. If he makes it three, then he will set up a quarterfinal clash with either sixth-seed Jason Kubler or the unseeded Daniel Galan. Frances Tiafoe, on account of his performance this season will feel confident about halting Johnson’s streak against him. The American is yet to hit the highs of last season which saw him play two tour-level finals as well as make the semifinals of the US Open but he has shown that he is slowly getting there. His highlight of the season thus far has been making the semifinals at Indian Wells and though he didn’t replicate the same success in Miami, losing in the third round, Tiafoe will expect at the very least, to make the quarterfinals here as he did last season. He begins the tournament placed 15th in the live rankings.

Steve Johnson is a two-time champion in Houston, winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. He has however not gone past the second round in the two tournaments he has played since then. The veteran American will hope to turn back the hands of time in this year’s edition. Johnson began the tournament in the first round where he defeated the unseeded Facundo Bagnis in three sets, dropping the middle set. The win halted a run of six successive defeats and in turn allowed him to move up five places in the live rankings to 147th. Johnson has struggled to get going this season and has just four wins from the 12 matches he has played. He will hope however that his past experiences in Houston coupled with his head-to-head record over Tiafoe, allows him to prolong his stay in the tournament.