Australian tennis player Jordan Thompson was at it again, upstaging Casper Ruud for the second time this year in the opening round of the Tokyo ATP 500. The win pits him against Japan's Kei Nishikori in a juicy second-round match.
This is his second victory over Ruud this year after his shocking upsets in Los Cabos, Mexico, brought him his first ATP 500 crown.
Thompson's breakout season has propelled the Australians into the world's top, 30-and apart from the hard-court summer of North America, which included a runner-up finish in Atlanta and a deep fourth-round appearance at the US Open. There hasn't been much left to the imagination.
Is he now ready to face the former world no. 4?
Thompson's Record Against Top-10 Players Keeps Improving
Thompson is now 5-7 in 2023, improving his record against top-10 players after winning against Ruud 7-6(5), 6-1 in the opener in Tokyo, according to Tennis.com.au. The victory levels out his head-to-head score at 3-3 versus the Norwegian star, establishing him as a tough opponent on the ATP tour.
Despite the recent triumph at the US Open with Max Purcell in Grand Slam doubles, Thompson said it does not affect his singles performance.
"It doesn't really affect me that much. I lost the Wimbledon final [in doubles] after holding match points and got straight back on the horse and made the final in Atlanta in singles," Thompson said.
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Fellow Aussies Shine in Tokyo
But it wasn't the only country where Australian tennis celebrated an upset victory today as fellow Aussie Chris O'Connell also played a scintillating game - beating Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, world No. 35, 6-4, 7-6(5). The 79th ranked-in-the-world O'Connell is set to face American Alex Michelsen next, who himself had caused an upset with a win over fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
However, the news wasn't all good for Australian tennis in Tokyo as World No. 23 Alexei Popyrin lost narrowly in a rematch of his Czech opponent Tomas Machac. The match ended at 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 after a perfectly contested three sets and saw the end of Popyrin's Tokyo campaign.
Thompson to Face Nishikori in Tokyo 2nd Round
Thompson will square off against the home favorite and former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori, setting himself up for a thrilling second-round encounter in Tokyo.
With momentum on his backside and a growing reputation for top-tier upsets, Thompson will look to continue that great form and push his run deeper in the tournament.
Does Thompson Have a Chance Against Nishikori?
Based on Bleacher Nation, the odds that Thompson will defeat Nishikori at the Rakuten Japan Open is 64.9%. Meanwhile, the Japanese tennis player only has a 41.7% chance of winning the round.
Thompson enjoys being the world no. 29. He has more games than Nishikori this year. However, although the latter is now at the 200th spot, Thompson should not show signs of complacency in front of the former no. 4.
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