Local boy Nick Kyrgios takes on Frenchman Gilles Simon in the second round of the 2020 Australian Open on Thursday, January 23. The match will be scheduled soon and you can find the Nick Kyrgios v Gilles Simon live streaming options along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
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Nick Kyrgios v Gilles Simon Head to Head
They met for the first time at the Washington Open last year. Kyrgios won the second round clash in straight sets, before going all the way to winning his second title of 2019. Thursday’s meeting will be their second.
Kyrgios Kicks Off Campaign in Style
It was a case of Kyrgios being Kyrgios, as the 24-year-old Aussie mixed power with deft touches to knock out Italian Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Getting off to a brisk start, Kyrgios broke Sonego twice in the first set to take it 6-2. The Italian, however, wasn’t ready to surrender meekly as he took the other two sets to tiebreaks, but had little answers to the Aussie’s class, who took control when it mattered to win 6-2,7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-1) in 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Often called the bad boy of tennis for his on court antics, Kyrgios has shown his other side in 2020, having devoted himself to the cause of the Australian bushfire victims and is doing every bit possible to generate funds for the affected regions. And on Tuesday he added a further Australian dollar $2,800 to the relief as he hit 14 aces against Sonego (He had pledged $200 for every ace he hits in the tournament).
Kyrgios, who could potentially meet 16th seed Karen Kachanov in the third round and top seed Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, looked very focused in the opener. Cheered by a vociferous crowd, he hit a flurry of winners and mixed them up with drop shots and tweeners against the fellow 24-year-old.
Considered as one of the most talented tennis players around the world, Kyrgios has often been criticized for not fulfilling his potential. And his performances in Grand Slams are a testament to it. The 6’4’’ Aussie has paid just two visits to the quarterfinals of a major, once at home in 2015 and once at the All England Club a year before that. Apart from those efforts he has had little success in Grand Slams.
However, all that could change this year as he is playing with a different energy and for a greater cause. But a difficult road lies ahead and a tough second round opponent is coming up next.
Simon Breezes Past Cuevas
35-year-old Gilles Simon breezed past 34-year-old Argentinian Pablo Cuevas in a lopsided first-round encounter on Tuesday.
The 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory which came in 1 hour and 49 minutes saw Simon making far fewer unforced errors (16) than Cuevas’ 43.
Ranked 61 in the world, Simon is 2-1 in singles this year and his best showing last year was a runner-up finish at the Queen’s Club, after he lost to Feliciano Lopez in the final.
When it comes to majors, Simon has featured in two quarterfinals (2009 Australian Open and 2015 Wimbledon). Both of his previous two appearances in Melbourne came to an end in the second round and he would be desperate to avoid a hat-trick of Round of 64 exits on Thursday.
Nick Kyrgios v Gilles Simon Predictions & Tips
Simon’s ability to play tirelessly will definitely test Kyrgios, but expect the Aussie to come through in four sets.
Tip: Kyrgios to win in four sets: 3/1 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
You can watch & bet on Nick Kyrgios v Gilles Simon on Thursday, January 23 here. . Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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