World No.3 Dominic Thiem will find it hard to defend his title at the Vienna Open 2020. With six of the top-10 players competing in the ATP tournament, Thiem will square off against the Japanese, Kei Nishikori, in the opening round. After the announcement of Novak Djokovic expressing his desire to play at Vienna, it has made the draw further interesting.

The 2020 season has proved to be Thiem’s most successful year as he finished runner-up at the Australian Open and then lifted his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. However, Thiem couldn’t replicate his form at the French Open earlier this month and lost to Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals. The Austrian will look to improve his form before heading to the ATP World Tour Finals in November.

Dominic Thiem vs Kei Nishikori head-to-head

The duo has played 5 times against each other, with Nishikori having a 3-2 edge in their rivalry. In fact, Nishikori defeated Thiem when the duo played at Vienna Open in 2018. However, their last meeting came at the ATP Nitto Finals in 2018, which Thiem won 6-1, 6-4.

Thiem vs Nishikori prediction

Since returning from injury, Nishikori has struggled to find his rhythm and has had a string of poor performances. World No.36 lost in the second round at the French Open and crashed out of the German Open in the first round after getting bagel’d in the opening set.

On the other side, Thiem, seeded No.2, would have recuperated well after looking fatigued at the French Open and will hope to get on a solid start. The 27-year-old’s dominant display from the baseline and powerful defence will cause an enormous threat to Nishikori as they face for the sixth time. Considering Nishikori’s lack of form, Thiem is most likely heading towards to an easy win.

Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in straight sets