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Match Details
Fixture: Aslan Karatsev vs (8) Yoshihito Nishioka
Date: September 25, 2023
Tournament: Zhuhai Championships 2023
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Zhuhai, China
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $981,785
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis TV | Canada - TSN
Aslan Karatsev vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview
Aslan Karatsev will take on eighth seed Yoshihito Nishioka in the semifinals of the Zuhai Championships.
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Karatsev started his tournament against Matteo Arnaldi and won a thrilling encounter 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2. He then faced seventh seed Andy Murray in the Round of 16 and once again came back from a set down, this time winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.
Here, the Russian faced second seed Cameron Norrie. The first set was tightly contested and neither player was able to break the other's serve. Eventually, the set entered a tiebreak and Karatsev won it 7-5.
Norrie started the second set well and made the first break of the match. However, Karatsev broke the Brit's serve when he was serving for the set at 5-4 to level the score at 5-5. Another tiebreaker ensued and once again, the Russian won 7-5 to book his place in the semifinals of the Zhuhai Championships.
Nishioka, meanwhile, started the ATP 250 event against Terence Atmane and came back from a set down to win 0-6, 6-4, 6-2. He then beat Lloyd Harris 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to book his place in the quarterfinals.
Here, the Japanese was up against third seed Jan-Lennard Struff and made the first break of the match in the third game. This turned out to be decisive as he won 6-4 to take the lead in the clash.
Nishioka was a beak up in the second set and was serving for the match at 5-4 before Struff broke him back. However, the Japanese restored his one-break lead in the very next game before holding serve to win 7-5 and reach the semifinals in Zhuhai.
Aslan Karatsev vs Yoshihito Nishioka head-to-head
Nishioka currently leads 1-0 in the head-to-head between the two, having previously beaten Nishioka 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the 2022 Paris Masters.
Aslan Karatsev vs Yoshihito Nishioka odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Aslan Karatsev vs Yoshihito Nishioka prediction
Both players seem evenly matched given their records so far this season, so this match promises to be an interesting one.
Karatsev's first serve has been very effective so far in Zhuhai. He has served 35 aces and won 131 out of 163 points (80.3%). The Russian has also hit 98 winners compared to 41 unforced errors. He will look to attack from the start and fetch as many free points as he can through his first serve.
However, Karatsev's shots, while powerful, can often be overhit and he will have to be careful not to do too much of that against Nishioka.
The Japanese has produced decent numbers on his first serve so far, winning 108 out of 145 points (74.5%), with three aces to his name. He has accumulated 58 winners, which is considerably higher than his tally of 22 unforced errors.
Nishioka's pace and stamina will come in handy while dealing with Karatsev's aggression and his high rally tolerance will also be valuable. If the former can maintain his composure throughout the match, there is a fair chance of him coming out on top.
Pick: Yoshihito Nishioka to win in three sets.
