Atlanta Open 2021: Nick Kyrgios vs Kevin Anderson preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Nick Kyrgios vs Kevin Anderson

Tournament: Truist Atlanta Open 2021

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Atlanta, United States

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Outdoor hard

Prize money: $555,995

Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel

Nick Kyrgios vs Kevin Anderson preview

Big servers Nick Kyrgios and Kevin Anderson will lock horns in a mouth-watering first-round clash at the 2021 Atlanta Open.

Kyrgios will be seen in action for the first time since retiring midway through his third-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon. The Aussie has played only eight full matches this year but has won six of those, including a couple of five-set victories over Ugo Humbert.

The last time Kyrgios played in Atlanta (2018), he had to retire midway through his quarterfinal clash against Cameron Norrie while trailing 5-7, 0-3. However, the Australian has fond memories of the event, having lifted the trophy in 2016.

Kyrgios has not lost to a player ranked outside the top 30 this season. His only losses in completed matches were against Borna Coric and Dominic Thiem. In fact, the last time the Australian lost to a player ranked outside the top 30 was in 2019, when he was beaten by Andreas Seppi in Zhuhai.

Kevin Anderson, meanwhile, comes into the event having recently won the Hall of Fame Open in Newport. The victory lifted the South African to No. 74 in the ATP rankings.

Kevin Anderson

Anderson is a former runner-up in Atlanta; he made it to the final in 2013 but was beaten by John Isner.

However, the 35-year-old has not won a match on hardcourt since beating Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the second round of the Great Ocean Road Open back in February. Since then, Anderson has lost to Karen Khachanov, Matteo Berrettini, and Damir Dzumhur on the surface.

Nick Kyrgios vs Kevin Anderson head-to-head

Kevin Anderson leads Nick Kyrgios 2-0 in their head-to-head. Their first meeting was on the hardcourts of Chengdu in 2016, which Anderson won in three sets. The Protean then required four sets to beat Kyrgios at Roland Garros the following year.

Nick Kyrgios vs Kevin Anderson prediction

Even though Kevin Anderson enjoys a 100% record against Nick Kyrgios, he will head into this match as the slight underdog. Anderson did recently win a title, but that came on grass, a much faster surface. His displays on hardcourts in recent years have left a lot to be desired.

Nick Kyrgios is very unpredictable, but on his day he is capable of beating anyone on the tour. He definitely has enough ammunition to defeat the South African. Both players will reap the rewards from their booming first serves, but Kyrgios' superior movement and groundstrokes should tilt the scales in his favor.

Prediction: Nick Kyrgios to win in three sets.