Yoshihito Nishioka vs Lloyd Harris Prediction & Betting Tips - Shenzhen Open, China

Prediction published on 21/09/2023, 04:08  by Nella Wagah in Tennis Predictions

Eighth seed Yoshihito Nishioka will on Friday at the Zhuhai Championship seek his first win against the unseeded Lloyd Harris. The two will battle in the second round with the winner next playing either Jan-Lennard Struff, Cristian Garin, or Zhou Yi. Yoshihito Nishioka has lost both meetings with Harris which also happen to have been played on hard court. But as he is a former champion here, he will fancy his chances of coming out on top on Friday. Nishioka triumphed in Zhuhai five years ago and is back here after four years. He defeated Terence Atmane in three sets in the first round after being forced to come from a set down. The win moved the Japanese number one up for places to 42nd in the live ranking. Nishioka has struggled with his form this year and currently has lost two more matches than the 15 he has won. The majority of his defeats, 11, have come on hard court where he also has a losing record.

Lloyd Harris has fared better than Nishioka this season. Adding this to his dominance in this fixture will have him confident of progressing past this round. The South African was in fine form in the first round, defeating Jiri Vesely in straight sets. The win, his 25th of the season, bumped him up 13 places to 149th in the live ranking. Harris has been at his best this season on hard court. He has won 18 of 30 matches on the surface and has one runner-up finish in the challenger circuit. The 26-year-old is making his second appearance in Zhuhai, six years on from his first. He won in three sets the last time he squared off with Nishioka which was last season in Miami.