We don't expect a phenomenal performance from Kawakami in this competition. In recent seasons, he has been active on clay tournaments, with not enough practice on fast courts. The last couple of weeks, his matches on hard surfaces have not been impressive at all, so he is unlikely to reach even the quarter-final stage.
Ehara looks extremely underestimated in this meeting. Although he has played little in recent years, he is an ex-top 400 player whose skill level will help him compete for victory in the next match.
It is strange to expect Ehara to fail, especially when the hard surface is not a profile for the opponent. We believe Ehara is quite competitive.
Our prediction: Ehara not to lose heavily. We recommend the “2 Hand (+5.5)” bet, odds 1.79
