Reilly Opelka recently made a stunning comeback in competitive tennis. He became the lowest-ranked ATP semifinalist in Newport. After that, he took part in the Atlanta Open and won his first match but was defeated soon. Opelka has been out of action for quite a while due to injuries, therefore his hunger to prove himself is higher than ever before. Next mission: Australia’s James Duckworth in the R64 of the Citi Open!

Duckworth has recorded some exceptional results in Challengers this year. The 32-year-old Aussie tennis player has reached one final, three SFs, and four QFs this season. Can he come up with yet another upset in the American camp in Washington, D.C.?

Reilly Opelka vs James Duckworth: Preview

Opelka hasn’t played much in this season. However, if we look at the numbers from his previous match against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the R16 of the Atlanta Open, we’d notice he hasn’t lost his stellar serve! Although he was defeated by the Spaniard by 5-7, 5-7, he fired 16 aces committing just 3 double faults in the entire match. His first serve win percentage was 82% but dropped to 52% for second serves. In the breakpoints, he was 0/4, but how are his overall numbers in this season?

James Duckworth is entering this contest after his early exit from Wimbledon at the hands of his compatriot, Alex de Minaur. Duckworth gave a tough fight in the match, but he was eventually defeated by De Minaur in a three-set thriller. James Duckworth recorded 9 aces and committed 4 double faults against the world number 6. He won 64% of his first serve and 47% of his second serve. However, in the breakpoints, he could only manage to save 3/7.

Opelka vs Duckworth: Head-to-Head

Opelka has faced Duckworth only once in his career. Currently, their head-to-head scoreline is in favor of the Australian and he has a lead of 1-0 over the American.

• Their first and only meeting so far has been in the finals of the 2018 Cary Challenger. In that match, James Duckworth defeated Reilly Opelka by 7-6(4), 6-3. However, interestingly, even in that match, Opelka hammered 23 aces and committed just 2 double faults!

Prediction: Opelka to win in three sets

Both Reilly Opelka and James Duckworth have played in this tournament before, and their best results have been reaching the third round. Serves are going to play a huge role in this match, and if we take a look at the numbers of Opelka from his previous match, we can get a hint of the tone of this epic faceoff. Reilly Opelka is 6ft 11 inches, and he can use his height incredibly well to generate some real venom behind his serves, which will likely get him victory.

His consistency and precision are the key to his high success rate on the serves. Apart from that, Opelka has a good volley and even has an incredible reach on the courts, which can help him break Duckworth and take the lead from the get-go. James Duckworth is also a big server. He loves to play an aggressive brand of tennis and this can at times make him a tough opponent to beat.

Duckworth never gives up easily and will aim to upset Opelka with his aggressive style of play! However, if we look at their win-loss record, Duckworth has recorded 8-8 this season compared to Reilly Opelka’s 4-3. There is not much to separate between the two looking at these, right? Well, beating Opelka on his home soil will be a tough ask for the Aussie and this is why we’re keeping the American slightly ahead in this battle!