Former No. 1 Andy Murray will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the first round at the San Diego Open this week. Our tennis expert serves up the latest odds, a tip for the match, and details how to live stream and claim an exclusive promotion at bet365.
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Andy Murray vs Kei Nishikori Preview
Andy Murray will enter the San Diego Open on the back of a mediocre result in the Moselle Open. The 34-year-old saw off home favourite Ugo Humbert in the opening round in Metz, initiating a strong comeback after losing the first set to win the contest 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. He looked very confident in his subsequent match against Vasek Pospisil but couldn’t move past the quarterfinals as Hubert Hurkacz outclassed him by 7-6, 6-3. There were some positives for the Scot in Metz, but he will now be aiming to produce a better performance in the San Diego Open.
Murray went out of the 2021 US Open from the first round earlier this season, with Stefanos Tsitsipas prevailing in the gruelling five-set thriller. His Rennes Open campaign was ended by Russia’s Roman Safiullin in the round of 16 before Hurkacz knocked him out of the Moselle Open from the quarterfinals.
Kei Nishikori, meanwhile, will return to tour action for the first time after suffering a four-set defeat to Novak Djokovic in the third round at the US Open. The Japanese took the first set off the Serbian but the 34-year-old rallied to win the contest 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.
Nishikori also impressed at the Tokyo Olympics, defeating highly rated Andrey Rublev in the first round before going on to claim victories over Marcos Giron and Ilya Ivashka. He eventually fell to Djokovic in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
The Japanese subsequently reached the semifinals at the 2021 Citi Open, beating Lloyd Harris in straight sets in the last eight. In the semifinal, he met South Africa’s Mackenzie McDonald who beat him in three sets.
Murray and Nishikori have met each other 11 times in the past, with the Scot emerging victorious in nine matches while his rival winning only two. The former World No.1 also won the latest encounter against the Japanese in the quarterfinals of the 2017 French Open.
Andy Murray vs Kei Nishikori Odds
Below are the latest odds on this match from bet365:
To Win Match
Murray: 6/5
Nishikori: 4/6
Match Handicap
Murray: +1.5 (11/10)
Nishikori: -1.5 (4/5)
Total Games
Murray: O22.5 (3/1); U22.5 (3/1)
Nishikori: O21.5 (15/8); U21.5 (12/5)
Andy Murray vs Kei Nishikori Prediction
Murray is 34 years old and is now playing in his third straight tournament this month. Though the former British No.1 seems intent on making up for lost time, another run at the San Diego Open will be a tough ask for a veteran player with a long list of injuries.
Perhaps it’s the concerns over Murray’s engine that have caused oddsmakers to make Nishikori the slight favourite in their upcoming match, and that’s despite the fact that the Japanese product has lost his last nine previous nine encounters against the Scot.
It’s a tough game to call, but we think Murray will have enough gas in the tank to see off an opponent that he knows well and get through this encounter. Murray to beat the handicap of +1.5 at 11/10 is our pick.
Bet on Murray to beat the +1.5 handicap at 11/10
Andy Murray vs Kei Nishikori Live Streaming Instructions
To stream this match online, simply sign up at bet365 and make a small deposit of £5.
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- Make sure to log in at 01:30 BST on Wednesday, September 29 to watch Murray vs Nishikori LIVE
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