2020 Australian Open – Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon taking place? Melbourne Park, Melbourne
When is Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon on and what time does it start? Thursday 23rd January, 2020 – 07:45 (UK)
What is the expected weather for Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon? Cloudy with a chance of rain, 21c
What channel is Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon on? The 2020 Australian Open will be televised on Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedule for this specific match
Where can I stream Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon in the UK? Sky customers can stream this match on the Sky Go app. Alternatively, the match can be streamed to subscribers of Eurosport Player, either on the official website or as an add-on to an Amazon Prime subscription
Where can I get tickets for Nick Kyrgios vs Gilles Simon? Click here to reach the official 2020 Australian Open ticket selection
Who won the last meeting between Nick Kyrgios and Gilles Simon? Nick Kyrgios beat Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6
THE LOWDOWN
NICK KYRGIOS
- Nick Kyrgios was clinical in the first set against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego but then had to dig deep to win the following two sets in tiebreaks to reach the second round.
- The world number 26 was near perfect on his serve at times, with a win percentage of 91% on his first serve giving Sonego no break point opportunities throughout all three sets.
- Australian Open fans’ favourite Kyrgios will face Gilles Simon for the second time having beaten the Frenchman on his way to his second title of 2019 at the Citi Open in Washington D.C.
GILLES SIMON
- 35-year-old French ever-present Gilles Simon came through Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in a remarkably comfortable straight-sets first round match (6-1, 6-3, 6-3).
- Simon played some unexpected tennis early on in 2020 as France’s team captain at the ATP Cup, coming into replace Gael Monfils to beat an in-form Lloyd Harris in the group stages there before losing to compatriot Jeremy Chardy at the Adelaide International a week later.
- The veteran is 61st in the ATP world rankings right now and has matched his previous two years’ showings at the Australian Open by making the second round, though he is a former quarter-finalist here.
THE PREDICTION
This is not a great match-up for 35-year-old Gilles Simon as he aims to reach the third round in Melbourne for the first time since 2017. He faces the poster boy of Australian tennis in Nick Kyrgios, who seems to have an entire country behind him at this tournament desperate for some good news in their troubling times. Kyrgios looked in great form against Sonego and while Simon is calm and collected enough to deal with the crowd, he should struggle to break the Aussie’s monstrous serve. A Kyrgios win is on the cards.
