Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Friday, May 10, 2024
Grigor Dimitrov -714 / Yoshihito Nishioka +460 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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Bulgarian eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov will face Japanese lefty Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round of the 2024 Italian Open in Rome. The match is scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2024. Here's our Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka prediction.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka Preview
Grigor Dimitrov's clay-court swing began on a positive note, winning back-to-back matches and reaching the round of 16 in Monte Carlo in April. But he lost to Holger Rune in a thriller (7-6 in the third). After getting a couple of weeks off, the Bulgarian was caught cold in Madrid, where he lost to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the second round. So, having notched back-to-back wins to begin his European clay adventure, Dimitrov has now lost two in a row. Can he return to winning ways in Rome?
Yoshihito Nishioka has scored two wins on clay, just like Dmitrov. His, however, can be classified as upset wins. He defeated Peruvian clay-court specialist Juan Pablo Varillas at the Cagliari Challenger at the end of April and then beat Sebastian Ofner in the opening round of the Italian Open on Wednesday. Nishioka's biggest strength is his ability to work out clever angles with his sweet left-hander. He doesn't have immense success on clay, but reaching the second week of the French Open last season is a career highlight of itself.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka Head-To-Head
Dimitrov leads Nishioka 2-0 in their head-to-head
Their last ATP meeting was in Rome four years ago. Dimitrov won 6-1, 6-0.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Yoshihito Nishioka Prediction
Nishioka has been playing with a lot more guile and hitting with depth in recent weeks, and he's looked a tad bit competitive and consistent on the surface. He's averaged winning at least one set in each of his last four matches on clay, including meetings against Auger-Aliassime, Varillas, and Nuno Borges. Dimitrov will most likely be too steep of a challenge but expect this one to be a lot closer than their clash in Rome four years ago when the Bulgarian dismantled Nishioka.