Seeds come into play on Day 3 of the 2023 ATP Miami Open. Players like Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, and Alexander Zverev kick off their campaigns. Are any of them in trouble? As always, we predict all of the day’s matches here at LWOT. We split up Friday’s matches between four articles. The other three feature Casper Ruud vs Ilya Ivashka, Marton Fucsovics vs Holger Rune, and Carlos Alcaraz vs Facundo Bagnis. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Miami Day 3 Predictions
Marc-Andrea Huesler vs Tommy Paul
Head-to-head: Paul 1-0
Marc-Andrea Huesler’s form hasn’t been great this year and we don’t have to look far for an example–his Round 1 win included Albert Ramos-Vinolas serving for the match against him. While the Swiss continues to be a nightmare matchup for seeds with his high-risk style, he just hasn’t been executing it well enough to hang with players like Tommy Paul of late.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Taro Daniel vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-head: First meeting
Taro Daniel grabbed a few standout wins (Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini) in recent weeks and was even very close to taking out Cameron Norrie in Indian Wells. Can he replicate this in conditions that suit him less than the aforementioned event or Acapulco? Probably not, especially as Alexander Zverev is getting back on track and seems to be improving anytime we get a chance to watch him.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Taylor Fritz vs Emilio Nava
Head-to-head: First meeting
Taylor Fritz will probably be delighted not to see John Isner in his draw. Emilio Nava eliminated the veteran American in a couple of tie-breakers, but wasn’t really playing all that well besides the last game of each set. He needs to serve out of his mind to have a shot, because from the baseline it’s not that close, especially if you think about how much of a liability Nava’s backhand is compared to a great stroke from Fritz.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
J.J. Wolf vs Andrey Rublev
Head-to-head: Rublev 1-0
Whether J.J. Wolf performs can still be a bit of a guessing game and he was dispatched quite easily by Andrey Rublev in Washington last year. Has the win over Alexander Bublik woken up the wolf (pun intended) in him? Maybe. He’s also one of the players who can feed off the energy of the crowd. Rublev needs to be considered the favorite and generally has a very high floor, rarely throws in a stinker.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
