Miami Open 2025: Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka

Date: March 19, 2025

Tournament: Miami Open 2025

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize Money: $9,193,540

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Sony LIV

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Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview

Kei Nishikori exited in the second round of the Indian Wells Open | Image Source: Getty

2016 runner-up Kei Nishikori will face fellow Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the 2025 Miami Masters on Wednesday (March 19).

Nishikori has put his career back on track after struggling with ankle, hip, and wrist injuries in the last two years. In January, the former World No. 4 finished runner-up to Alexandre Muller in the Hong Kong Open final, which allowed him to enter the men's top 100 for the first time since June 2022.

The 35-year-old has since lost five of his eight tour-level matches but gave a good showing at the Arizona Tennis Classic last week, reaching the semifinals of the ATP Challenger event. The World No. 64's first-round opponent in Miami will be the 68th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka, who has also endured a tough time since winning his third singles pro title at the 2024 Atlanta Open.

The 29-year-old had failed to win back-to-back main draw matches at ATP events between August 2024 and February 2025, before reaching the quarterfinals of the Dallas Open. That said, the former World No. 24's physical conditioning is currently suspect.

In late February, he picked up a shoulder injury during his first-round win at Delray Beach Open, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the ATP 250 tournament and the Indian Wells Masters in March.

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Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka head-to-head

Nishioka leads Nishikori by a margin of 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. The 29-year-old defeated his older opponent in their lone career encounter at the 2019 Cincinnati Open.

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Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over/Under)
Kei Nishikori	-200	-1.5 (+115)	Over 21.5 (-145)
Yoshihito Nishioka	+155	+1.5 (-165)	Under 21.5 (+100)

All bets sourced from BetMGM.

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Kei Nishikori vs Yoshihito Nishioka prediction

Yoshihito Nishioka prepares to hit a forehand | Image Source: Getty

Nishikori has recorded one final (2016), one semifinal (2014), and two quarterfinal (2015, 2017) appearances at the Miami Open. However, the Japanese star is a shadow of the player he used to be in the 2010s, largely due to age and injuries. While the 35-year-old's double-handed backhand is still a killer owing to his equal adeptness at defense and attack, his reflexes have gotten considerably slower lately.

Nishioka, meanwhile, doesn't have the ability to work out points to his advantage like the former World No. 4 does. The World No. 68 does make up for it with his footspeed and agility, though. Moreover, his left-handed forehand angles have troubled many top players in the past.

While Nishikori has been fit this year and is the better player on paper, the six-year-age gap between him and Nishioka makes the latter the slight favorite for this match-up.

Pick: Nishioka to win in three sets.