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The ATP tour travels to Miami this week for what would be the first Masters 1000 match of the yr. That stated, a good portion of the caravan shall be lacking the occasion – together with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer – resulting from a string of various causes.
If the withdrawal of the Large 3 wasn’t damaging sufficient, there has additionally been a state of emergency declared in Miami – together with an 8 p.m. curfew. The second wave of COVID has hit town exhausting, forcing the Miami Open to permit solely a restricted variety of followers on web site.
However the match will possible nonetheless provide numerous leisure, with the ‘4 Horsemen’ of the NextGen being the headliners. World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev returns to motion for the primary time since successful his tenth profession title in Marseille, and he shall be joined by Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev as the highest 4 seeds.
Numerous veterans could also be lacking in motion, however that additionally means there is a good probability of a brand new participant making a profession breakthrough. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have monopolized the Masters tournaments recently, sharing 99 such titles between them. So of their collective absence (for the primary time since Paris 2004), the youthful pack might maybe strengthen their cost in direction of the highest.
With primary draw motion set to kick off on Wednesday, here is a have a look at how the lads’s singles subject is more likely to play out:
Prime half: Can Daniil Medvedev proceed his sturdy run of kind?
Prime seeds: [1] Daniil Medvedev, [3] Alexander Zverev, [7] Roberto Bautista Agut, [8] David Goffin
Anticipated semifinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev
Darkish horse: Andy Murray
Evaluation: Daniil Medvedev has put up an incredible run since final yr, successful titles on the 2020 Paris Masters, the 2020 ATP Finals, the 2021 ATP Cup and the 2021 Open 13 Provence. Though the Russian fell brief within the Australian Open remaining, he appears primed for one more large win – and would be the proverbial participant to beat in Miami.
Medvedev might face the big-serving Reilly Opelka within the third spherical. And whereas he has a reasonably easy projected Spherical of 16 match in opposition to both Dan Evans or Dusan Lajovic, the going will get a lot harder from there.
There are a number of good gamers on the opposite aspect of Medvedev’s quarter, together with seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut, former Miami champion Andy Murray and Subsequent Gen star Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Andy Murray, a former World No. 1 who has needed to endure severe hip accidents lately, enters the Miami Open as a wilcard. The three-time Main champion believes he can nonetheless compete with the world’s finest gamers, and shall be put to the check proper from his opening match in Miami as he takes on Dubai finalist Lloyd Harris.
If Murray will get by way of that match, a blockbuster second-round encounter in opposition to Roberto Bautista Agut awaits. The winner of that match will probably face Felix Auger-Aliassime, who’s presently ranked nineteenth within the ATP rankings.
The in-form Alexander Zverev may even be wanting so as to add the Miami Open to his already wholesome tally of Masters 1000 wins. Nonetheless, the German finds himself in a trickier quarter than Medvedev.
Zverev might face both Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori or proficient 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in his opener, earlier than probably taking over Doha champion Nikoloz Basilashvili within the subsequent match. The 23-year-old may then should diffuse the problem of both fast-rising Jannik Sinner or big-hitting Karen Khachanov within the Spherical of 16.
Eighth seed David Goffin finds himself in a comparatively simpler a part of the draw in comparison with his different prime seeded friends. Ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov, USA’s Taylor Fritz and the unpredictable Alexander Bublik are the one high-profile names in Goffin’s path.
Predicted semifinal: [11] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs [3] Alexander Zverev
Early spherical matches to be careful for: Andy Murray vs Lloyd Harris, Andy Murray vs [7] Roberto Bautista Agut, [11] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs [18] John Isner
Backside half: Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev seeking to rebound by successful their maiden Masters title
Prime seeds: [2] Stefanos Tsitsipas, [4] Andrey Rublev, [5] Diego Schwartzman, [6] Denis Shapovalov
Anticipated semifinal: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev
Darkish Horse: Aslan Karatsev
Evaluation: Stefanos Tsitsipas, who’s searching for his profession’s first Masters 1000 title in Miami, has been in nice kind thus far this yr. The Greek defeated Rafael Nadal on the Australian Open from two units to like down en route the semifinals, earlier than ending runner-up in Acapulco to Alexander Zverev.
That stated, Tsitsipas could be dissatisfied at dropping the championship match in opposition to Zverev within the method that he did. The World No. 6 wasted three break factors that might have given him a 5-1 lead within the first set, after which Zverev assumed full management of the match.
Tsitsipas will, for sure, be seeking to shake off that loss by producing a powerful efficiency in Miami. He might face both Kevin Anderson or Thiago Monteiro in his opener, earlier than probably taking over twenty eighth seed Kei Nishikori within the third spherical.
The possible match-up between Tsitsipas and Nishikori, who completed because the runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Miami in 2016, could be their first assembly since 2018. If Tsitsipas is ready to navigate previous the Japanese’ problem, he’ll probably face fifteenth seed Alex de Minaur within the Spherical of 16.
The Greek might then face eighth seed Denis Shapovalov within the quarterfinals, which might be a contender for match of the match if it occurs. Tsitsipas shall be hoping to even his head-to-head report with Shapovalov this week, having misplaced to the Canadian on the 2020 ATP Cup and in addition at this very match two years in the past.
Fourth seed Andrey Rublev may even be gunning for a maiden Masters 1000 triumph in Miami. The Russian has been in tremendous kind himself this yr, having gained the Rotterdam occasion earlier than reaching the semifinals at Dubai to increase his successful run at 500-level occasions to 23.
Rublev was stopped by eventual champion Aslan Karatsev within the final 4. The World No. 8 will possible have revenge on his thoughts now, with Karatsev looming giant on the opposite aspect of this quarter.
Rublev’s draw early on is sort of docile, with the seeded gamers in his path being Marton Fucsovics, Benoit Paire and Cristian Garin. Issues get tough from the Spherical of 16, the place Rublev might face Karatsev or fifth-seeded Diego Schwartzman.
Predicted semifinals: [17] Aslan Karatsev vs [2] Stefanos Tsitsipas
Early spherical matches to look out for: [2] Stefanos Tsitsipas vs [28] Kei Nishikori, [12] Milos Raonic vs [26] Ugo Humbert, [6] Denis Shapovalov vs [26] Hubert Hurkacz, [17] Aslan Karatsev vs [10] Fabio Fognini
Prediction for the ultimate
Alexander Zverev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas
Predicted champion
Stefanos Tsitsipas
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