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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Reilly Opelka vs Nick Kyrgios
Date: August 4, 2022
Tournament: Citi Open 2022
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Washington, D.C., United States
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $708,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports
Reilly Opelka vs Nick Kyrgios preview
Fourth seed Reilly Opelka will square off against Nick Kyrgios in the third round of the Citi Open on Thursday.
Opelka has been on the rise this season, registering 21 wins from 35 matches and winning titles at the Delray Beach Open and the US Men's Claycourt Championships in Houston. He also scored a second-place finish at the Dallas Open and reached the semifinals of the Geneva Open.
The American entered Washington DC on the back of early exits from the Queen's Club Championships, Eastbourne International and Wimbledon. He got off to a decent start against Carlos Taberner at the All England Club but couldn't edge past Tim van Rijthoven in the second-round.
At the Citi Open, the 24-year-old began his campaign with an exceptional comeback win against Denis Kudla 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4.
Nick Kyrgios, on the other hand, is having one of the best seasons of his career in 2022. He's garnered 23 wins from 30 matches and reached the semifinals in Houston, Stuttgart and Halle. The Australian also capped off a sensational fortnight of tennis at Wimbledon. He reached the finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career.
Kyrgios picked up hard fought wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Brandon Nakashima and Cristian Garin en route to the semifinals and received a walkover entry into the finals at the SW19. Rafael Nadal pulled out of their last four clash due to an abdominal injury.
He put up a dedicated performance against Novak Djokovic but couldn't fend off the Serb in the summit clash.
The 27-year-old began his campaign at the Citi Open with a solid win against Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2 and followed it up with another potent display against Tommy Paul, winning 6-3, 6-4.
Reilly Opelka vs Nick Kyrgios head-to-head
Opelka leads the head-to-head against Kyrgios 2-0. He defeated the Australian most recently at the 2022 US Open Claycourt Championships in straight sets 6-3, 7-5.
Reilly Opelka vs Nick Kyrgios odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Reilly Opelka vs Nick Kyrgios prediction
An intriguing contest will be on the cards at Rock Creek Tennis Park in Washington DC on Friday. Opelka defeated Kyrgios earlier this year and will feel positive about his chances in this bout.
The American secured a brilliant win in his previous match against Denis Kudla. He was on the backfoot after losing the opening set but fought back strongly to reach the third round. Opelka rocketed 28 aces and won 79 per cent of his first-serve points. If he continues to serve in this fashion, he could create problems for any opponent in the future.
Kyrgios, on the other hand, put on another clinical performance at the Citi Open against Tommy Paul. He won 84 per cent of his first serve points and never lost his serve throughout the contest.
The 27-year-old seems to be enjoying his tennis at the moment and looks determined for another strong run in 2022. He's reached the third-round in eight out of nine tournaments this year and the quarterfinals in three out of his last four.
While both players possess a dangerous serve which compliments their solid overall game, Kyrgios will have the edge in this bout, considering his rich vein of form at the moment. He also has a better baseline game than Opelka and seems to have a more composed approach to his game at the moment.
Opelka might win a few free points on his serve but Kyrgios should be able to find a way to exploit his weaknesses (like his movement and receiving low-bouncing shots) and come out on top. The American walked out as the winner in their last battle but the Australian should be able to get his revenge this time around.
Pick: Kyrgios to win in three sets.
