Starting soon so I will keep this short.
The easy thing to do here would be to look at the head to head match-up of these two last week in Los Cabos, see that Kovacevic won, and back the American at a touch over even money. However, I see value in the Australian in this match-up. Looking over the short to medium term form of both players, I feel Hijikata is producing the more consistent level, even if last week was a slightly down performance. There is more room for growth on his level last week compared to Kovacevic.
Both players produced some strong Challenger form in the back end of 2023, however in the qualifying/transition to ATP level, my preference lies in the overall form of Hijikata’s more well-rounded game.
Suggested Bet:
1 unit Hijikata to defeat Kovacevic at $1.80 at Bet365
Over 18s Only (21+ in some jurisdictions). 1 unit = 1% of bankroll. These are my bets that I am making. Please enjoy your betting responsibly. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and do not chase a loss.