ATP Beijing / Tokyo: 1st Round

ATP Beijing Feature Previews

Rafael Nadal v Lucas PouilleIt has been a year to remember for Nadal returning to number 1 in the rankings and claiming two Grand Slam titles along the way. He has been consistent throughout the year – something than cannot be said about Pouille. The Frenchman has a solid two month stretch winning Budapest and Stuttgart either side of the French Open but a poor run at the majors and Masters Series events has seen him drop outside the top 20 despite half a dozen of the top 10 players sitting out. We saw him beat Nadal and the US Open last season so belief will not be a problem. He has been there or thereabouts, even in his losses. His last two losses in best of 3 set matches have been via a 7-6 7-6 scoreline and The Wolf loves the Overs as a result.
Best Bet: Over 20.5 games ($2.00)

Kyle Edmund v Alexander ZverevZverev was slow out of the blocks last week and it cost him. He should have lost to Darcis in the opening round but fell to Dzumhur in the following round anyway. He will look to hit the ground running early in this one, especially after seeing Edmund getting bageled by Donaldson last time out. An emerging Zverev beat Thiem and Sock here a year ago while Edmund lost to Murray in the quarters. The Wolf gives Edmund a chance but has concerns of his ability to keep sets close when he is not playing at his best. In his last two losses we have seen him lose via a bagel and a 6-1 set. If Zverev can get on top early we should see him run away with it. If the Germans win he will be covering the start.
Best Bet: Zverev -3.5 ($1.91)