World number 72 Rinky Hijikata will be up against the 84th-ranked Alexandre Muller in the first round of the 2023 Zhuhai Championships on Thursday, September 21. Get the predictions and odds of this Rinky Hijikata v Alexandre Muller match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
Looking to Watch & Bet on the 2023 Zhuhai Championships Live Online?
- For tennis fans in the Europe & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis here
- Other Zhuhai Championships match previews & predictions options here
[the_ad id=”100858″]
Rinky Hijikata v Alexandre Muller Head to Head
Their only previous meeting came in the 2022 Wimbledon qualifiers and Hijikata had won that in straight sets.
Also Read:
Hijikata’s Fine Form Continues
Ranked 169th in the world in January this year, Hijikata’s slow and steady rise on the rankings charts has been something to watch. He came close to breaking the top 100 in February following a Challenger title win in Burnie but it wasn’t until the US Open that he finally managed to do that.
Hijikata, who made a direct entry into the main draw of the season’s final Grand Slam, overcame three of his opponents to make it to the fourth round of the tournament. In doing so, he not only broke into the top 100 but also ended up ranked 82nd.
Soon after, he featured in a Challenger tournament in Cary and once again, Hijikata showed his performances so far have been no flash in the pan as he made the final there.
Now ranked 69th in the world, Hijikata will hope to make a dash into the top 50 of the ATP charts and there’s every possibility he can get there if he can go deep in a few of these last left tournaments this season.
Can he start off with a win with bet365 offering 8/11 for that here?
[the_ad id=”100858″]
Muller Looking to Shrug off Recent Form
Muller’s ranking charts can be compared with Hijikata’s. Rather interestingly, he had begun the season ranked 160th, hitting a low of 173rd before his performances on the Challenger circuit pulled him out of that mire.
He won a Challenger title on clay, reached the final of another tournament at the same level but Muller’s done his best at the highest level in Marrakesh where he made the final of an ATP 250 competition.
What that has helped him with is to hit a career-best ranking of 76th on the charts following which Muller hit a few weeks of underwhelming performances in July and August.
This month, Muller has featured in only one tournament – on the Challenger circuit – and made the semifinal there to signal his return to form. Which is also why there might not be much to choose between these two players at the moment.
Muller’s 1/1 (with bet365) to win this.
Hijikata v Muller Prediction and Tip
Hijikata has a slight edge to claim a victory here but it might not be an easy one and a three-setter looks highly likely.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: Hijikata to win: 8/11 (with bet365)
- Moderate Risk Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/5 (with bet365)
The 2023 Zhuhai Championships will be played from September 18 to 24. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
Be the first to comment