By Tony Fairbairn
- Jannik Sinner [10] v Grigor Dimitrov [21]
- Petra Kvitova [15] v Donna Vekic [22]
- Taylor Fritz [9] v Denis Shapovalov [24]
MIAMI, USA – Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov will collide for a spot in the last 16 at the Miami Open with Taylor Fritz and Petra Kvitova also in action.
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Jannik Sinner [10] v Grigor Dimitrov [21] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jannik Sinner [10] v Grigor Dimitrov [21] | H2H: Dimitrov leads 1-0 |
| Miami Open 2023 | Miami, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| TBC | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Jannik Sinner continues to build momentum this season as the wins keep coming after a straight sets win over Laslo Djere opened his campaign in Miami. The Italian has been impressive so far this season but will be hoping to improve his record against his rivals after suffering another defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells. Sinner has the game to beat any player on his day but now needs to ensure he can handle the pressure as he will look for his big Grand Slam breakthrough in 2023.
Next up for Sinner is a big obstacle in the form of 21st seed Grigor Dimitrov who came from a set down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff in his opening round. Dimitrov will hope that he has one more big title in him as he approaches the end of his career with the Bulgarian struggling to find consistency both in his form and his fitness. Now Dimitrov will look to prove that the future can wait and that his time to add more titles to his collection is now.
Sinner will look to produce consistent returning and brutal aggression as he looks to test Dimitrov’s physicality and defensive skills. Meanwhile Dimitrov will look to maintain a high level on serve and come to the net as much as possible to finish off points as quickly as possible. This should be an entertaining match with both players looking to finish points off quickly but Sinner’s more consistent form should give him the edge here.
Prediction: Sinner in three sets.
Petra Kvitova [15] v Donna Vekic [22] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Petra Kvitova [15] v Donna Vekic [22] | H2H: Kvitova leads 3-1 |
| Miami Open 2023 | Miami, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| TBC | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Petra Kvitova showed at Indian Wells that she is still perfectly capable of beating some of the world’s best players after defeating Jelena Ostapenko and Jessica Pegula on her way to the quarter-finals. However the problem for Kvitova in recent years has been consistency and the world number 12 will look to back up that run in California with another deep run in Miami. As the clay court season approaches, Kvitova will be keen to gain some momentum in Florida as her least favourite time of the year is just around the corner.
A tough task awaits for Kvitova in the next round as in-form Donna Vekic awaits in the third round. Despite an early exit against Lesia Tsurenko, Vekic has produced consistently good performances this season as she feels that this year could be the year that she reaches the semi-finals or better at a Grand Slam. Now the Croatian has proven her ability at the smaller tournaments, Vekic will now look to translate that form to the bigger events as he ability to perform under pressure has often been questioned.
Kvitova will look to continue to set the tempo of the match with her serve and forehand while Vekic looks to counter-attack with her defensive skillset and footwork. The serve and points at the net will dictate who wins this match with both players looking to take advantage of the quicker conditions. This will be a close match but Kvitova’s recent confidence should give her the edge here.
Prediction: Kvitova in three sets.
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Taylor Fritz [9] v Denis Shapovalov [24] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Taylor Fritz [9] v Denis Shapovalov [24] | H2H: Shapovalov leads 5-3 |
| Miami Open 2023 | Miami, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| TBC | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Despite his attempt to defend the Indian Wells title failing, Taylor Fritz can take a lot of positives from his quarter-final defeat to Jannik Sinner. The American played some really good tennis in that match and proved that any player who tries to beat him, will need to play their best tennis. The American will now look to gain some valuable ranking points in Miami as he looks to continue his rise up the ATP rankings.
However a tough third round awaits Fritz in the third round as he takes on Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian has been disappointing this season having only won two matches since the Australian Open. However Shapovalov is a confidence player and the 23 year-old will know that it only takes one match or tournament to turn his form around. Now the Canadian will look to use his fearless serve and forehand to blast his way into the last 16 and kickstart his underwhelming season.
Shapovalov needs to serve consistently well to beat Fritz here with the American returning exceptionally well this season. This will be an entertaining contest with Shapovalov not having much to lose and a good performance could give him confidence heading into the rest of the season. However Fritz’s consistency should see him through as long as his game can remain stable throughout the contest.
Prediction: Fritz in straight sets.
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