Team Argentina meets Team Japan in Group D as Guido Pella meets Yoshihito Nishioka at the 2021 ATP Cup. Will Nishioka be able to not get destroyed in yet another match against Guido Pella, or will Pella continue to bagel the Japanese No.2?
Yoshihito Nishioka will not be coming into this match with much confidence, as he knows that he will have to be on top of his game if he is to get anything out of this encounter. Nishioka is not the biggest server, and although he moves extremely well around the court, when he plays against very similar playing style opponents, he struggles a lot. Nishioka will also know of his 2 defeats against Pella in the past and he will know that if he doesn’t play on top of his game, the result will be the same. Nishioka will be most likely hoping that his team mate Nishikori is able to get the job done against Diego Schwartzman in order to alleviate any pressure in this matchup.
Guido Pella is a very solid player and he has shown us some solid performances against extremely strong players in the past, including the likes of Marin Cilic at his peak. Pella will want to prove to everyone that although he is underrated many times, he can put on solid performances on the big stage. Pella is an incredibly fast mover around the court and he can move his opponents around the court with ease when he is on top of his game. I expect Pella to be extremely confident in this matchup, especially with his history against Nishioka.
This is going to be the 3rd meeting between both players, with Guido Pella leading the head to head 2-0. In those 2 prior meetings, Pella has not lost more than 4 games overall, winning both all 4 sets in those matches, 2 of which were won 6-0. Pella’s playing style really frustrates Nishioka as they are very similar, but Pella has more power, accuracy, experience, and talent. Nishioka will have to be on top of his game, and Pella be extremely underwhelming if we are to see any upset here. However, I cannot see Pella losing here.