Yoshihito Nishioka vs Alexei Popyrin Prediction

In terms of rankings, Popyrin is considerably higher at 25, while Nishioka is positioned at 74. This ranking disparity reflects their performance levels, as indicated by their Elo ratings; Popyrin boasts a rating of 1528.40 compared to Nishioka's 959.54. When examining their form indices, Popyrin's score of 47.92 surpasses Nishioka's 30.49, suggesting that Popyrin is in better form heading into this match. Both players have reported zero cumulative fatigue, indicating they are fresh for this encounter. Notably, Popyrin’s surface strength index of 12.81 is significantly higher than Nishioka’s 6.86, suggesting Popyrin's better adaptation to clay. In their recent performances, Nishioka has struggled, losing his last two matches consecutively against Dusan Lajovic and Hugo Gaston, failing to win a set in both instances. His only recent victory came in a hard-court match against Aleksandar Vukic. Conversely, Popyrin's recent form is more encouraging, having won a match against Jacob Fearnley and defeating Nicolas Jarry in a tightly contested three-set match before suffering a loss to Cameron Norrie.