For the third consecutive Masters 1000 tournament, it is once again the ATP Tour trying to stop Jannik Sinner from adding another big title to his resume. In Miami, that task falls to Jiri Lehecka.
Interestingly, this is the Czech’s first-ever Masters 1000 final. He reaches the championship match having not dropped serve even once. But now, up against the best hard-court player in the world, that is likely to change, or at the very least be pushed to its absolute limit, as we bring you a complete preview of this year’s Miami Open final.
Match Preview
These players have faced each other three times on the ATP main tour (and once at Challenger level), with the Italian winning all four encounters. Remarkably, Lehecka is still searching for his first set against Sinner, having won just three games across three sets in their most recent meeting at the French Open.
While there are many reasons for this one-sided matchup, the biggest is that both players come from a similar power-baseliner mold–but Sinner simply does everything better than the Czech.
Lehecka possesses a strong serve and an explosive forehand. However, one could argue that Sinner currently has the best serve and forehand in men’s tennis. On top of that, the Italian holds clear advantages in return, the backhand wing, movement, and even net play. This has often made their matches feel effectively over within just a few games.
How Can Lehecka Challenge?
So, what can Lehecka do to, if not rewrite the script, at least challenge it? Playing the match of his life would certainly help.
Protecting his service games will be paramount. To do that, he must maintain both a high first-serve percentage and an excellent win rate behind it. An effective “plus-one” forehand will also be crucial in keeping points short and avoiding extended rallies where Sinner thrives in this matchup.
Executing this game plan could give Lehecka a chance to force a tiebreak, especially given how fast and serve-friendly the Miami conditions can be. And once in a tiebreak, anything can happen.
However, even with a near-perfect performance, an upset remains a long shot. Sinner will enter the match as the heavy favorite, just two sets away from becoming the eighth man in history to complete the Sunshine Double.
Match Time and Where to Watch
The men’s final is scheduled for Sunday, March 29, not before 3:00 PM local time (7:00 PM in London, 8:00 PM in Milan, and 6:00 AM Monday in Sydney).
The match, concluding the hard-court swing to start the season, will be available to watch live around the world on Tennis TV and leading sporting networks, such as:
- United States: Tennis Channel
- Canada: TSN
- Australia: beIN Sport Australia
Coverage in Europe will be available on:
- United Kingdom: Sky UK
- Italy: Sky Italia
- France: Eurosport France
- Germany: Sky Deutschland
- Spain: Telefonica / Movistar
The complete broadcast list can be viewed on the tournament’s website. With history on the line for both players, who do you think will come out on top and lift the title in Miami this year?
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
