The seeded players will enter the fray on day three at the ATP Miami Open, with 16 second-round matches on the schedule in the Sunshine State. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Lloyd Harris vs Roberto Bautista Agut, Alexander Zverev vs Emil Ruusuvuori and Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert. But who will reach the round of 32?
ATP Miami Open Day 3 Predictions
James Duckworth vs David Goffin
Head-to-head: first meeting
David Goffin has shown glimpses of his best form this season, winning the ATP 250 event in Lyon. However he has not made it past the round of 16 at any ATP event since that win. James Duckworth, who currently sits just outside the world’s top 100 at #104, has enjoyed a solid start to 2021. The Australian reached the second round at the ATP Murray River Open and the Australian Open. However, he has played mainly on the Challenger Tour since, with relatively little success. Still this could be a close match, but expect Goffin’s quality to be the difference.
Prediction: Goffin in 2
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Grigor Dimitrov vs Cameron Norrie
Head-to-head: first meeting
Cameron Norrie has enjoyed a good start to the 2021 season, notably reaching the third round at the Australian Open where he lost to the great Rafael Nadal. That came off the back of reaching the semifinals in Delray Beach. He has continued to impress since and the Briton reached the quarterfinals in Acapulco last week, a run which included a straight-sets win over Fabio Fognini.
Grigor Dimitrov was playing great tennis at the Australian Open, but picked up an injury in his quarterfinal match against Aslan Karatsev, losing the match in four sets as a result. But Dimitrov bounced back by reaching the quarterfinals of Acapulco last week, losing there to the rising star Lorenzo Musetti. This has the makings of a close match, but expect Dimitrov to get the win in three.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
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Daniil Medvedev vs Lu Yen-hsun
Head-to-head: Medvedev 1-0 Lu
Daniil Medvedev has enjoyed a great start to the 2021 season, reaching the final of the Australian Open, although the manner of his defeat there at the hands of Novak Djokovic was surely a disappointment to a player of his calibre. Regardless, he recovered in impressive style by winning the title in Marseille. The Russian has had a couple of weeks off since and so should be fresh to start his pursuit of another Masters 1000 title.
Lu Yen-hsun, meanwhile, recorded an impressive first-round win over Sam Querrey. He displayed an impressive level of composure and tactical awareness, particularly on serve, to record a straight-sets victory and add to the American’s woes. Having said that, Medvedev is a vastly better returner than the American and Lu is not likely to get nearly as many free points as he did against the American. The Russian should record a straight-sets win here .
Prediction: Medvedev in 2
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John Isner vs Mackenzie McDonald
Head-to-head: first meeting
John Isner was the champion in Miami in 2018 and put up an impressive defense of his title, losing in the final to Roger Federer in 2019, a match in which he was badly affected by a foot injury. But the American is not the force he once was. He has played just two tournaments so far in 2021, reaching the quarterfinals in Delray Beach and the last 16 in Acapulco, where he was handily beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas. His opponent, Mackenzie McDonald, is in much better form.
He has enjoyed a very fine start to 2021, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open as well as winning the first Nur-Sultan Challenger. He has maintained that fine form so far in Miami, coming through the qualifying before edging out Vasek Pospisil in the first round. This match will present a real clash of styles, with Isner’s success based on his serve whilst McDonald looks to outlast his opponent’s from the back of the court. It could go the distance, but Isner’s serve should give him the trump card in the pressure situations.
Prediction: Isner in 3
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