Japan Open 2022: Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles
Tournament: Japan Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Tokyo, Japan.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $1,953,285.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports.
Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles preview
Fourth seed Frances Tiafoe will face Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round of the Japan Open on Thursday.
Tiafoe's only final of the season came at the Estoril Open, but his best performances have come in recent months.
The American reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, beating the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev in the process. However, he lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.
Tiafoe then helped Team World win the Laver Cup by winning his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 24-year-old entered the Japan Open as the fourth seed and sealed his place in the round of 16 by beating Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-4.
Tiafoe Takes Tokyo?
Frances Tiafoe, fresh off being castigated for taking a match seriously after years of being criticized for not being serious enough, defeats Yasutaka Uchiyama, 6-3, 6-4 to kick off his time in Tokyo
Big Foe looking like an early contender for the title! 💪 https://t.co/R7OMINCGeg
Bernabe Zapata Miralles' most notable achievement this season was reaching the round of 16 of the French Open, where he beat Taylor Fritz and John Isner in the process.
The Spaniard also reached the quarterfinals of the Croatia Open in Umag before losing to Giulio Zeppieri. He then suffered opening-round exits at the US Open and the Sofia Open.
Zapata Miralles then entered the Japan Open and beat local boy Taro Daniel 7-5, 7-5 to book his place in the round of 16.
Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships - 1st Round: Bernabe Zapata Miralles beat Taro Daniel 7-5, 7-5
Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two players is 0-0 as they have never locked horns before.
Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles odds
All odds are sourced from bet365.
Frances Tiafoe vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles prediction
Tiafoe registered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4 win over Yasutaka Uchiyama in his last match, and was dominant on his serve, winning 72% of points (46 out of 64).
World No. 80 Zapata Miralles did beat 95th-ranked Taro Daniel in straight sets but both sets were tightly fought. The Spaniard was strong on his first serve, winning 70% of points.
Tiafoe has a big serve which can fetch him plenty of free points and his forehand helps him dictate play and finish off points early. The American won only 28.2% return points in his last match and Zapata Miralles will look to dominate his service games.
The Spaniard has beaten a few higher-ranked players this season but has won only two out of six matches so far on hard courts.
Tiafoe's recent run of form makes him a heavy favorite entering the match and he should be able to come out on top and reach the quarterfinals of the Japan Open.
Pick: Tiafoe to win in straight sets.