A clash of generations will take place under the lights at ATP Washington on Wednesday night.
Kei Nishikori, who is just a couple of months away from retiring, will take on one of the sport’s rising stars, 19-year-old Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar, in the Round of 16.
Jodar is a prohibitive -600 favorite over Nishikori at FanDuel Sportsbook.
ATP Washington: Nishikori vs. Jodar odds, pick
It hasn’t taken long for Jodar to make his mark on the men’s tennis circuit.
The teenager was sensational during the European clay-court season, winning a title in Marrakech and going on deep runs at both the Madrid and Rome Masters before a trip to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
The Spaniard didn’t make as much noise in his Wimbledon debut, but he won a pair of matches on the grass to leap into the Top 25.
Although Jodar’s best surface will likely be the dirt, his game should translate well across all surfaces. He can mash.
He will, however, get a very different kind of test on Wednesday.
At the peak of his powers, Nishikori was a five-tool player who kept opponents on their heels with his agility, creative shot-making, and his consistency. He was good at just about everything, but his elite tennis IQ turned him into an elite player. He’s a former winner at this tournament, a former US Open runner-up, and was once the No. 4 player in the world.
With his skillset now diminished, Nishikori will need to lean on his craft and guile more than anything else against the high-flying Jodar.
It could work.
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While Jodar could just smash his way through Nishikori, it’s not like the Japanese star has never faced an opponent like the Madrileño. Nishikori will need to be patient and unpredictable, in the hopes of unsettling Jodar.
With the crowd behind him and an inexperienced opponent in front of him, I like Nishikori’s chances of making this interesting. He may not have enough in the tank to pull the upset, but his unconventional approach should give Jodar enough issues to make this tighter than the odds suggest.
The Play: Over 21.5 games (+102, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
