America’s Mackenzie McDonald takes on Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the first round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. This prestigious 48-year-old tournament is held in Newport, Rhode Island, US. So, there will surely be a lot of support for the Floridan during his match against Hijikata. This is the last grass court event of the ATP season, and both of these tennis stars are keen to leave a mark in this tournament. Who’ll win this exciting battle?

Well, if we look at their form this year, McDonald best record has been reaching the R16 twice this year. On the other hand, Hijikata has made it through to the QF on four occasions this season. Looking at this stat, the Australian looks slightly ahead in this battle, but what do the other stats conclude?

Mackenzie McDonald vs Rinky Hijikata: Preview

The 29-year-old American was defeated by Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. Now, he’ll be keen to make a return to winning tracks on home soil. If we take a glimpse at the numbers from that match, he hammered fourteen aces and committed just a single double fault. Impressive, isn’t it? McDonald won 72% of his first serve and 60% of his second serve. However, he could only convert four out of his eight breakpoints.

Mackenzie McDonald has hit 27 aces and committed 30 double faults this season. He has won 67% of his service games and 22% of his return games. Can he take advantage of the support from the home crowd and come up with a positive result?

Well, it won’t be a cakewalk! Rinky Hijikata has been in decent form comparatively. However, the Australian faced an early exit from Wimbledon with a defeat against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. He fired twelve aces and committed six double faults against Cobolli. His first-serve win percentage was 74%, and his second-serve win percentage was about 51%. Hijikata converted just two out of his six breakpoints in that match while giving Cobolli four after eighteen chances.

Looking at his overall numbers, the 23-year-old has hit 117 aces and committed 78 double faults so far this season. He has won 76% of his service games and just 17% of his return games.

McDonald vs Hijikata: Head-to-Head

McDonald and Hijikata have faced each other once on the ATP Tour. It was at S-Hertogenbosch in 2023 where Hijikata won in three sets. McDonald hit eight aces and committed four double faults. Meanwhile, Rinky Hijikata hit five aces and committed two double faults. He won 74% of his first serve and 51% of his second serve; for McDonald, it was 56% and 53%, respectively. Mackie converted just two out of his nine breakpoints, but Rinky managed to convert five out of nine. 

Prediction: Hijikata to win in three sets

Rinky Hijikata is currently ranked 25 places above America’s Mackenzie McDonald. He has a win-loss record of 10-16 this season, and in comparison, McDonald has a win-loss record of 1-9. As far as the numbers are concerned, the Australian is currently far ahead of McDonald. However, tennis has always been known for unpredictable results. So, American tennis fans – keep your fingers crossed!

McDonald loves hitting flat shots, and he frequently comes forward to finish his points. He has good speed and agility, plus he has a strong forehand to topple his opponents. On the other hand, Rinky Hijikata is a good ball striker and can generate a lot of power in his shots. So, Hijikata looks most likely to win this contest, but remember that McDonald, too, has the potential to come up with a surprise in this epic battle!