Halle Open: Kei Nishikori vs. Sebastian Korda 6/17/21 Tennis Prediction

Kei Nishikori of Japan will face Sebastian Korda of the USA in the Round of 16 at the 2021 Halle Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Thursday June 16th, 2021 at 5:00am EST.

An interesting match is expected here at the 2021 Halle Open, as unseeded pair Kei Nishikori and Sebastian Korda do battle for a spot in the Quarter-Finals. Both men are extremely close in the ATP rankings and have contrasting styles, so it is sure to be an exciting match. Who will get the win and advance to the Quarters here in Halle?

Kei Nishikori is a former world #4 and has finally been stringing some consistent performances together on the ATP Tour after a long period where he suffered with loss of form and injuries. While he considers grass his least favorite surface, he has had some strong performances on it, reaching the Semi-Finals here in Halle twice, and the Quarter-Finals at Wimbledon twice. The Japanese star has been in decent form so far in 2021, with two Quarter-Finals appearances in Rotterdam and Dubai and will be hoping for a strong week here in Halle. He struggled in the opening round against Ricardas Berankis, but was able to get the win in the end in three sets. Nishikori is up against a much stronger opponent here in Sebastian Korda, and will need to be at his best to advance here.

Sebastian Korda is currently ranked #50 on the ATP Tour and is a fast rising star of the sport. The son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, he had a string of outstanding performances so far this season, notably reaching the Final in Delray Beach, his first Masters-1000 Semis in Miami and claiming his Maiden ATP Tour title in Parma a few weeks ago. He is making his grass court debut at this level, but has all the tools to do well on this quicker surface with a huge serve and heavy groundstrokes. He had a very impressive debut win over Roberto Bautista Agut in the First Round, and will be backing himself to get the win here over the veteran Kei Nishikori.

This is a tough match to call due to the contrasting game styles. Sebastian Korda is a very powerful and attacking player, whose serve will definitely be a handful here. On the other hand, Kei Nishikori is one of the best movers on tour, and is capable of some elite defense. I am expecting a very tough battle that will likely go the distance, but I am backing the young American here. Korda has displayed maturity beyond his years, and I think he will have just enough to get the win here, advancing to the Quarter-Final here at the 2021 Halle Open.