Atlanta Open: Milos Raonic vs. Brandon Nakashima 7/28/21 Tennis Prediction

Top seeded Milos Raonic of Canada will face the unseeded American Brandon Nakashima in the Round of 16 of the Atlanta Open. The match is scheduled for Wednesday July 28th, 2021 at 7:00pm EST.

Milos Raonic will make his return to the Tour at the Atlanta Open with a tricky Round of 16 encounter with the young American Brandon Nakashima. Raonic was once ranked among the best five players in the world but has struggled with injuries lately, and is playing his first match since March. Brandon Nakashima is in top form at the moment and is sure to provide a tough test for the Canadian. Who will win and advance to the Quarter-Finals here in Atlanta?

Milos Raonic is ranked 22 in the world rankings and is the top seed here at the Atlanta Open. Once ranked #3 in the world, he has struggled over the few years with injuries and loss of form. After some solid results to start the year he suffered a calf injury and has not played since the Miami Open in March. Now making his return to the tour, some rust is to be expected and it will be interesting to see the level of his conditioning. His huge serve will still be an elite weapon which should allow him to stay competitive in the match even if the other things aren’t clicking right away. Despite his opponent Brandon Nakashima’s strong form, Raonic should still be considered the favorite here but it could be a tough day at the office.

Brandon Nakashima is unseeded here at the 2021 Atlanta Open, and is ranked 115 in the world. The young talent had an outstanding week at the Los Cabos Open, reaching his first ATP Final and his confidence will be through the roof. He upset top players such as John Isner and Sam Querrey before falling to Cameron Norrie in the Final and while he is playing great tennis, one must wonder if fatigue is an issue here. He struggled in his First Round win over Trent Byrde, surprisingly being pushed to three sets. If he is fully healthy then he will be able to push Milos Raonic a bit, but he remains the underdog here due to his lack of experience against the top players.

The two players have never met, and despite the big difference in their rankings and experience I expect a close battle. Milos Raonic has had a fantastic career and is the better player, but the long layoff will have him rusty and lacking fitness, and Brandon Nakashima is in the form of his life. Despite this, I do think that the Canadian will win the match, but it will be closer than anticipated. Nakashima will keep it close but I believe that he lacks the experience to close out the big points when they matter most. Even if he plays poorly, his serve will still keep it competitive and win him many free points, and I think that Raonic will capitalize when he gets the inevitable opportunities. Milos Raonic to win and advance to the Quarter-Finals here at the Atlanta Open.