Eight matches are in store at the Miami Open on Monday, Day 6 of ATP play. Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will play his first match at the tournament when he squares off against Cristian Garin. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. Who will reach the fourth round in Florida?
ATP Miami Day 6 Predictions
Christopher Eubanks vs Gregoire Barrere
Head-to-head: first meeting
The projected third-round match was expected to be the two seeds, Borna Coric and Cameron Norrie. Instead, we get the unexpected matchup pitting Christopher Eubanks and Gregoire Barrere. Both players notched their biggest wins on Saturday, with Barrere in particular, demolishing Cameron Norrie in a manner we have not seen happening to the Briton.
For Eubanks, the plan was simple–keep the points quick and rush Coric from the baseline. His intent and execution were on point, as he swept the Croat with his humongous first serve and was disruptive of Coric’s baseline game with the use of slice and net play. Barrere is marginally the better all-round player here and should have the edge.
Prediction: Barrere in 3
Frances Tiafoe vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Tiafoe 1-1 Sonego
Tiafoe survived an absolute rollercoaster against Yosuke Watanuki. The 24-year-old qualifier hammered an astonishing 55 winners and threw the kitchen sink at the American. But all Tiafoe needed was a drop in level which he duly capitalized on. The sense of excitement and nerves might have played on Watanuki’s mind being a set and a break up. That won’t be the case against Lorenzo Sonego who also earned a comeback win against Dan Evans. They played twice last season and split wins. Tiafoe could be made to work again for the win.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Hubert Hurkacz vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: Hurkacz 2-1 Mannarino
Hurkacz produced a miraculous comeback to knock out Kokkinakis, saving five match points in the process. The quality of tennis did not disappoint as the two players played their hearts out to the final point. Next up is Adrian Mannarino who earned a shock win over American prodigy Ben Shelton. Mannarino’s presence ensured there will be three Frenchmen vying to reach the fourth round in Miami. Hurkacz can ill-afford to keep Mannarino interested here, as the lefty has found a little more pop in his game to win the small cat-and-mouse points. But I suspect that won’t be enough to throw Hurkacz off his game.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 2
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-head: Tsitsipas 2-1 Garin
Stefanos Tsitsipas will reach the fourth round at the Miami Masters with just a single match win. Having received a bye in the first round, his second-round opponent Richard Gasquet pulled out at the 11th hour. That could actually be a blessing in disguise for Tsitsipas who gets more time to overcome any niggles on his recent shoulder injury. Garin has played a fine tournament yet again, proving his Indian Wells run a fortnight ago was not a fluke after all. But you would expect a fit-again Tsitsipas to demonstrate the same elite level that took him to the Australian Open final in January and romp to victory.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
