Japan Open 2024: Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert
Date: September 27, 2024
Tournament: Japan Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $1,818,380
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert preview
Brandon Nakashima and Ugo Humbert will clash in the second round of the Japan Open 2024 on Friday (September 27).
Nakashima took on fellow American and seventh seed Frances Tiafoe in the first round. The 23-year-old overcame a break deficit in the opening set, and then broke his opponent's serve in the 12th game to take the set.
The two were on level terms for most of the second set, until Nakashima raced to the finish line towards the end. He bagged the last three games of the match to secure a 7-5, 6-3 win.
Humbert commenced his journey in Tokyo against home hope Shintaro Mochizuki, who made the semifinals here last year. The Frenchman was off to a fast start, and claimed the first set for the loss of only one game.
Humbert continued to impose himself as he raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set. He held a match point on Mochizuki's serve in the seventh game but the latter got himself out of trouble. Nevertheless, he closed out the match himself in the following game for a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win.
Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
Humbert leads Nakashima 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at this year's Wimbledon in four sets.
Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Brandon Nakashima vs Ugo Humbert prediction
Humbert barely broke a sweat against Mochizuki in his opener. He didn't lose his serve even once, and hit 15 winners against 23 unforced errors. While he improved his record to 19-9 on hardcourts this year, 13 of those wins came during the first two months of the season, when he won titles in Marseille and Dubai.
Nakashima, meanwhile, has improved as the season progressed. His win over Tiafoe was his 15th on hardcourts this season. Thirteen of those wins have come since the start of August. He was a semifinalist at last week's Hangzhou Open, and reached the fourth round of the US Open prior to that.
Nakashima's win over Tiafoe also bettered his head-to-head against top 20 players to 5-4 on hardcourts this season. He has recorded all of his wins over them in recent weeks as well.
Humbert hasn't won back-to-back matches on hardcourts since his title-winning run in Dubai back in February. The American, on the other hand, is in good form, and it makes him the favorite in this match-up. While he lost their previous duel when they crossed paths at Wimbledon, his recent results indicate that he will be better prepared to handle the Frenchman this time.
Pick: Brandon Nakashima to win in three sets.