Match details
Fixture: (2) Reilly Opelka vs (7) Adrian Mannarino
Date: 18 February 2022
Tournament: Delray Beach Open 2022
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Delray Beach, USA
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $664,275
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Tennis TV
Reilly Opelka vs Adrian Mannarino preview
Second seed Reilly Opelka will square off against seventh seed Adrian Mannarino in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Delray Beach Open on Friday.
After a first-round bye, Opelka was handed a stern test by Jack Sock in the second round. The tall American lost a close opening set, but managed to edge out Sock in the second to force a decider. The World No. 20 completely dominated the final set to seal a 6-7(8), 7-6(4), 6-1 win and progress to his third quarterfinal of the year.
Opelka won his third career title at the Dallas Open last week without dropping a set or losing serve the entire tournament. Prior to that, he reached the third round of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic. The American has made a strong start to the 2022 season and will be aiming for a second consecutive title this week.
Adrian Mannarino, meanwhile, had to dig deep to defeat Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in the second round. The two players were evenly matched for the most part, but the Frenchman stepped up his game in crunch situations to secure the win.
Mannarino started the year with two consecutive first-round losses at the Melbourne Summer Set and Sydney Tennis Classic. He turned his season around by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
Since then, he has reached the quarterfinals of three events, the Open Sud de France, the Dallas Open and Delray Beach.
Reilly Opelka vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head
The two have faced off twice before, with Opelka leading 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter at the Dallas Open in straight sets.
Reilly Opelka vs Adrian Mannarino prediction
Opelka is riding a wave of momentum and confidence and is definitely the favorite in this match-up against Mannarino. When the two met in the quarterfinals of the Dallas Open last week, Opelka cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 win.
The American hit 100 aces during his title run in Dallas and continued his serving masterclass at Delray Beach, firing 21 aces past Sock in the second round.
Mannarino's main strength is getting the ball back in play and making his opponents hit extra shots. But if Opelka continues to serve well, the Frenchman won't have too many opportunities to get into rallies.
Mannarino won just five points on return in their previous match, so he has to improve in that area. But even if he does raise his level, it's hard to see how he will be able to halt the Opelka juggernaut.
Prediction: Reilly Opelka to win in straight sets.