The second leg of the “Sunshine Double” is in full swing as the ATP Tour prepares for Day 3 action at the Miami Open. Day 3 welcomes some of the tournament’s top seeds to the court after the top 32 ranked players in the draw received a Round 1 bye. No. 3 seed Casper Ruud will look to get back on track against Ilya Ivashka. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Miami. We split up Friday’s matches between four articles. The other three feature Marton Fucsovics vs Holger Rune, J.J. Wolf vs Andrey Rublev, and Carlos Alcaraz vs Facundo Bagnis. But who will advance?
ATP Miami Day 3 Predictions
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Brandon Nakashima
Head-to-Head: Davidovich Fokina 1-0 Nakashima
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Brandon Nakashima will square off for the second time this year when they meet in Miami. The Spaniard got the best of the American 6-2 7-6 in Adelaide. Davidovich Fokina is looking to keep his momentum rolling after reaching his first hard court Masters quarterfinal last week in Indian Wells. He is 6-3 over the previous month and has only lost to top ten players. Nakashima picked up a much-needed victory over Oscar Otte in the Miami Open first round. The 21-year-old has been dealing with knee troubles that have limited him to seven matches this season. While he did look solid against Otte, I do not believe Nakashima will have the fitness and level to hang with Davidovich Fokina over three sets.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Guido Pella
Head-to-Head: Shapovalov 1-0 Pella
Denis Shapovalov is currently ranked No. 30 in the world. It is his lowest mark since Oct 2019. The 23-year-old Canadian can flip the recent narrative with a strong showing at the Miami Masters. He squares off against veteran Argentine Guido Pella in Round 2. Pella came from a set down to win his Round 1 match over Juan Pablo Varillas. It was a solid showing for a player without much previous success in Miami. In this match, Shapovalov will be too powerful and consistent from the baseline for Pella to pressure him.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 2
Miomir Kecmanovic vs Ugo Humbert
Head-to-Head: Kecmanovic 3-3 Humbert
Miomir Kecmanovic and Ugo Humbert are very familiar with each other’s games. The two have played six times, splitting the encounters. Humbert has won the three previous meetings, with their most recent encounter coming at the Tokyo Olympics. Since then, the Frenchman has gone through a rough patch and is currently ranked No. 78 in the world. He has, however, started to turn it around, putting together a 9-3 record since the start of February. Kecmanovic comes into this match riding a three-match losing streak, though all three matches were competitive encounters against formidable players. I like the Serbian’s ability to dictate points against Humbert. His consistency off both wings will pay dividends in a match I expect to be tight.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 3
Casper Ruud vs Ilya Ivashka
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Casper Ruud comes to the Miami Open defending a 2022 runner-up finish. The No. 3 seed has not played his best tennis this year and is looking for a kickstart to his season during this Masters event. His opponent, Ilya Ivashka, had a dominant 6-2 6-1 first-round victory over Daniel Altmaier. When he is dialed in, the 29-year-old Belarusian can give any player fits on a hard court. I believe he will push Ruud in this match. We should see a lot of great ball striking from both players, but in the end, I give a slight advantage to the No. 3 seed.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
