Wimbledon 2021: John Isner vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match Details

Fixture: (28) John Isner vs Yoshihito Nishioka

Date: 29 June 2021

Tournament: The Championships, Wimbledon

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: London, Great Britain

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Grass

Prize money: £17,066,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

John Isner vs Yoshihito Nishioka Preview

John Isner hasn't played much tennis this season and will have tempered expectations at Wimbledon, where he begins his campaign against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday.

The American has a 9-5 record this year, which includes quarterfinal runs in Madrid and Delray Beach. Seeded 28th at Wimbledon, Isner is coming off a third-round defeat to eventual finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros.

Isner is yet to play a match on grass this year, but will fancy his chances at Wimbledon, where he reached the semifinals in 2018. The American has won four (all at Newport) of his 15 career titles on grass, which shows he enjoys playing on the slick surface.

Yoshihito Nishioka, meanwhile, has won only eight of his 21 matches this year. The left-hander arrives at Wimbledon following a first-round loss to Andreas Seppi at Eastbourne.

Nishioka's only career title came on the hardcourts of Shenzhen three years ago and he has won only 10 Grand Slam matches in his career.

John Isner vs Yoshihito Nishioka head-to-head

In their only previous meeting on tour, Isner beat Nishioka in three sets in the Round of 16 in Memphis four years ago. Thus, the American leads the head-to-head 1-0.

John Isner vs Yoshihito Nishioka prediction

Considering the gulf in class and experience between the two players, especially on the big stage, Isner will start as the overwhelming favorite. The tall American has a game well suited to fast surfaces like grass, where his booming serves and powerful groundstrokes do plenty of damage.

Meanwhile, the diminutive Nishioka is a counterpuncher with a decent lefty serve that could drag Isner wide on the ad court. The unseeded Japanese will also look to move the tall American from side to side and prevent him gaining control of the points. However, that could be a tall order considering Isner's firepower.

Nishioka has not won a match at Wimbledon in three attempts, so beating an experienced campaigner like Isner on grass is not very likely.

Prediction: John Isner to win in straight sets

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram