2021 Citi Open Semi-Final – Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald taking place? Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald will take place at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington
When is Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald on and what time does it start? Saturday 7th August, 2021 – not before 23:00 (UK)
What surface is Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald being played on? Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald? Visit this link for the latest ticket information
What channel is Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald on? Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald will be televised on the Amazon Prime Video app on smart TVs
Where can I stream Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Kei Nishikori vs Mackenzie McDonald live via their platform. Subscribers of Tennis TV can also stream the match live
THE PREDICTION
World number 67 Kei Nishikori was able to take full advantage of any mental fatigue Lloyd Harris might have experienced from beating Rafael Nadal on Thursday to come through their quarter-final in straight sets. The 31-year-old has a point to prove as he desperately swims against the tide to bring himself back to an ATP world ranking befitting of a player of his quality and especially after his humbling by Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Japanese star will face Mackenzie McDonald on tour for a first time, though he did beat the 26-year-old in a Challenger event back in 2018. Still, world number 107 McDonald is experiencing one his best ever campaigns on tour with this his first ATP 500 semi-final. The American took out the defending champion from 2019 Nick Kyrgios in the first round and he has battled past some rugged opposition since in Benoit Paire, Ilya Ivashka and Denis Kudla.
This has been a tournament full of upsets and McDonald is more than capable of reaching his first ever tour-level final here but Nishikori has excellent staying power. The likelihood is that this will need a deciding set, so take Nishikori to win at least one of them and leave the winner up to chance.
