Kei Nishikori vs Tommy Paul Prediction & Picks - ATP Australian Open

Prediction published on 1/14/25, 8:12 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 1/14/25 at 8:15 AM in ATP Australian Open Picks

American Tommy Paul came agonizingly close in the first round, but will now face an old acquaintance in the second round of the Australian Open: Japan's Kei Nishikori.

The Australian Open has been Tommy Paul's breakthrough tournament in the past. A semi-finalist in 2023, the American made a name for himself in Melbourne, and since then, the world's 11th-ranked player has been a consistent performer at the highest level. With high ambitions for this 2025 edition, the New Jersey native gave himself a few scares in his opening match on Monday, with a 5-set victory over Australian Christopher O'Connell. It was a major scare for the tournament's number 12 seed, who still needs a bit of rhythm at the start of the season. But there's no waiting around for him in the second round, with a match against a returning player, Kei Nishikori.

And how good it is to see the Japanese tennis player back at an excellent level! Ranked 76th on the ATP, the Japanese tennis player was one of the best on the planet just a few years ago, and although injuries have prevented him from staying there, the desire is still there. A finalist at the Hong Kong tournament 10 days ago, Kei Nishikori showed that he was back in the game. But in the first round of the Australian Open, the Japanese gave himself a scare with a 5-set victory over Brazil's Thiago Monteiro after coming back from a two-set deficit. It was a mental victory for Kei Nishikori, and now it remains to be seen whether the former top 5 player can string together another best-of-5 encounter.