Kei Nishikori will face American wildcard entrant Tim Smyczek for a place in the quarter-finals of the SAP Open

Kei Nishikori will enter his next match with every chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the ATP San Jose Open. He’s in decent form at the moment, and produced an efficient performance to defeat Jan Hajek 6-1, 7-6(6) in round one. His opponent, Tim Smyczek, is the world No. 172, and is considered to be the underdog here.

Smyczek has steadily climbed the rankings over the past few years, but is still expected to struggle. He fought hard to defeat Colombian qualifier Robert Farah 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in round one, and has at least done enough to justify his wildcard. It should be noted that Smyczek actually defeated Nishikori in the last meeting between the pair, which occurred in the qualifying draw for ATP Los Angeles last season.

This could turn out to be an intriguing match, in a competition that hasn’t been too kind to the seeds so far. Nishikori is the favourite, though he could be set for a very difficult match. Smyczek will be out to impress on home soil, and this might enhance his chances of reaching the quarters.