Men’s Olympic Tennis Second Round – James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov taking place? James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov will take place on Tuesday 27th July, 2021 at (not before) 04:30 (UK)
Where is James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov taking place? James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov will take place at Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo
What surface is James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov played on? James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov will be played on hard courts
Where can I get tickets for James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov? There are no tickets for James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov as Olympic Tennis will take place without spectators.
What TV channel is James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov on in the UK? Olympic coverage is shared between BBC and Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedules for James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov
Where can I stream James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov in the UK? If James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov is televised on BBC then it can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If James Duckworth vs Karen Khachanov is televised on Eurosport then subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE PREDICTION
Both world number 77 James Duckworth and number 25 Karen Khachanov came back from behind in their first round matches at Tokyo 2020 and this looks like a really robust match-up in the second round. 29-year-old Duckworth has enjoyed possibly his best year on tour so far and was exceptional at Wimbledon to reach the third round earlier this month. The Aussie beat Slovakia’s Lukas Klein in three sets on Monday but this will be a significantly tougher test with Khachanov slowly coming back to form. The Russian did well to overcome a Japanese hopeful in Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round and a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon is the first signs in some time that the former world number eight is rediscovering himself.
25-year-old Khachanov is certainly a level above Duckworth but on the Aussie’s day he can dig in and is capable of the upset. Khachanov won their only previous encounter at last year’s St. Petersburg Open in straight sets but this could be a lot tighter in Tokyo. Take the Russian to win outright here with Duckworth a potential banana skin at this stage.
