Cincinnati Open 2024: Taylor Fritz vs Brandon Nakashima; Preview, Head-to-Head and Prediction

Duel between two Californians! Taylor Fritz meets Brandon Nakashima in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters. Both players have some really good Tennis this yearSo We can expect some nerve-wracking moments in this exciting match. Beating Fritz on hard courts won’t be easy, but we’ve all seen what Nakashima can do on a good day! The 23-year-old defeated Fritz’s doubles partner Tommy Paul in R32 of the Canadian Open. Is it now time for him to achieve a similar result against the other?

Taylor Fritz vs. Brandon Nakashima: Preview

Fritz has had some incredible runs in his last tournament this year. He has already won two titles and has also reached one final, one semi-final and four quarter-finals this season. How far can he go? to reach in Cincinnati? Well, for now the answer lies in the hands of “B-Nak”. Fritz was defeated in his last match (R32) at the Canadian Open by Sebastian Korda 4-6,6(4)-7. Surely he would not like to give another compatriot a free pass!

Nakashima has achieved some exceptional results in the Challengers this year. If we look at his overall record this season, the youngster has won a title and also reached a final in the Challengers. Apart from that, Nakashima has also managed to to reach five semifinals and three quarterfinals in his tournaments so far this season. He enters this match after his round of 16 loss to Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open. Can he get back on track in Cincinnati? Well, that remains a million dollar question!

Fritz vs. Nakashima: Direct comparison

Both Fritz and Nakashima will be the torchbearers of American tennis. They have enormous potential to impress on the sport’s biggest stages. However, if we look at the H2H standings, they have only met twice in their careers and Fritz currently leads 2-0.

Prediction: Fritz wins in two sets

Fritz’s experience on the bigger stages and his better decision-making and tactical sense will give him an advantage over Nakashima in this competition. He has a 36-15 record this season, compared to Nakashima’s 16-15, so their current form in the bigger events speaks for itself.

Looking at their playing styles, Fritz basically an offensive baseliner with deadly groundstrokes in his arsenal. With his powerful weapons, he can easily force his opponents into errors. His strong and consistent forehand is another such weapon. However, his backhand is a bit flatter and generally has a much lower bounce. Fritz has hit 525 aces this season and this is a clear example of how big a threat he is on serve. Apart from all these things, Nakashima also needs to be a little careful of Fritz’s incredible topspin lob.

The 23-year-old is truly one to keep an eye on in the future, but we still need time to consider Nakashima as the favorite over a proven fighter like Fritz. Nakashima has a balanced game and boasts excellent court coverage with a strong two-handed backhand. In addition, his serves and returns have a perfect blend of power and precision. Is that enough to topple Fritz? Definitely no! Fritz reached the quarterfinals here in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, while Nakashima’s best record was reaching the first R1 three times before that. So this is more of a statement himself Support the exact reason for our prediction.