Australian Open 2025: Kei Nishikori vs Thiago Monteiro preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Kei Nishikori vs (Q) Thiago Monteiro

Date: January 12, 2025

Tournament: Australian Open 2025

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Hard (Outdoor)

Prize Money: A$ 86,500,000

Live Telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv

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Kei Nishikori vs Thiago Monteiro preview

Nishikori at the 2021 French Open - Day Four - Source: Getty

Japan's Kei Nishikori will be making an appearance at the Australian Open after four years, where he has reached the quarterfinals four times in the past. In his first event of the year, he reached the final in Hong Kong, defeating prominent names such as Denis Shapovalov, Karen Khachanov, and Cameron Norrie.

In the semifinal, the former World No. 4 led 4-3 when his opponent Juncheng Shang retired due to an illness. He took the first set 6-2 in the final against Alexandre Muller but was denied his first ATP title since 2019 courtesy of the Frenchman's comeback in successive sets.

Meanwhile, Brazil's Thiago Monteiro had a disappointing start to the 2025 season, losing to Zhizhen Zhang and Alexander Zverev in the United Cup. However, he made it to the main draw of the 2025 Australian Open without dropping a set during qualifiers. This will be his sixth main draw appearance Down Under. With a 1-5 record in the main draw at Melbourne Park, Monteiro will be looking to better his 2021 campaign, where he reached the second round.

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Kei Nishikori vs Thiago Monteiro head-to-head

The 35-year-old defeated the Brazilian with relative ease 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4 in their only previous meeting in the opening round of Wimbledon 2019.

Nishikori (L) and Monteiro on Day Two: The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 - Source: Getty

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Kei Nishikori vs Thiago Monteiro odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Kei Nishikori	TBD	TBD	TBD
Thiago Monteiro	TBD	TBD	TBD

(Odds will be added when available)

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Kei Nishikori vs Thiago Monteiro prediction

The Japanese player ended the 2024 season on a positive note as he won the Helsinki Challenger and had a winning streak of nine matches before his Hong Kong final loss. Although he reached the US Open final in 2014 and has made it to the quarterfinals in all four Slams on several occasions, he has only had one main draw appearance in the Australian Major in the last five years (2021).

Nishikori underwent hip surgery during the 2022 Australian Open and suffered a foot injury right before the 2023 edition. Thus, it is the only Grand Slam where he has been winless since 2019, something he would be eager to change.

On the other hand, Thiago Monteiro has lost the last six main draw matches at Grand Slams. He has a 2-11 combined record at the Australian Open and US Open, the hard court Grand Slams.

Like most of the Brazilians, most of the success has come at the clay courts, where he has won 11 of the 14 Challenger titles. Last year he did not play in Melbourne and in 2023 he lost to France's Constant Lestienne in straight sets, so the left-hander would need luck on his side to end that six-match losing streak at the Grand Slams.

Pick: Kei Nishikori in four sets