Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris Prediction United Cup 1/4/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Shintaro Mochizuki will face Billy Harris in Japan’s tie against Great Britain in the 2026 United Cup. The match is scheduled for Sunday, January 4. Here’s our Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris prediction. This preview will also include a Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris pick.

Tournament Details

Tournament name: United Cup
Host cities: Perth, Sydney
Date: 2 – 11 January 2026
Field: 18 countries
Total prize money: $11,806,190

Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris Preview

Shintaro Mochizuki’s debut match at the United Cup ended in defeat as the 22-year-old fell to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. Mochizuki made a bright start to the match when he broke Tsitsipas in the opening game and he consolidated to take an early 2-0 lead. But despite Tsitsipas’ struggles in the past year, there was no such recurrence in the new season as the former top 10 player played better tennis shortly after to win the match 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 23 minutes.

In the defeat, Mochizuki hit 1 ace and 3 double faults. He landed 53% of first serves in play and won 73% of first serve points (22/30). Mochizuki won 41% of second serve points (11/27) and saved five of eight break points. Japan lost the tie 3-0 after Osaka’s shock defeat to Maria Sakkari and a double rubber later on Friday.

Billy Harris will get Great Britain’s campaign up and running. The 30-year-old earned a call-up into the United Cup for a second time. Jack Draper’s withdrawal has opened up an opportunity for the World No. 128, and he will be keen to pick up his first win in the tournament.

Harris lost all three singles matches in the competition 12 months ago in a tough group containing Australia and Poland. Last year, Harris won his maiden ATP Challenger title in Cassis and compiled a 45-46 record. He has never broken into the top 100, although he was on the brink of doing so when he rose to World No. 102 in late May.

Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris Head-To-Head

Mochizuki and Harris have never met at any level before this.

Shintaro Mochizuki vs Billy Harris Prediction

Mochizuki played well in patches against Tsitsipas, but in the end, he just didn’t have enough cutting edge and quality to down the Greek. But this is a match he should win as Japan cannot afford another loss in the tie, which would pretty much eliminate them. Harris’ record against top 100 players is far from compelling and he has lost six in a row against that caliber of opponents. A slight edge to Mochizuki here who has already played a match, but there is little to separate them.

Nur Said's Pick: Shintaro Mochizuki in three sets