Atp 1000 Miami - Day 4

Baez S. vs. Van Asche L.
These players are quite similar in stature and excel on this surface, especially due to their aggressive response play. For both, their backhands and baseline shots are their most reliable weapons, despite not being overly powerful. In my opinion, Baez starts with a significant advantage, not only due to his greater familiarity with these courts but also because of the consistency he brings to his game. However, I don't exclude the possibility of a tightly contested set.

Coric B. vs. Zverev A.
Coric faced a tough first-round match against an opponent who was clearly not at his level, struggling to win in three sets, which shows he's not very comfortable on these courts. On the other hand, Zverev, who I believe could be a serious title contender given Alcaraz's precarious condition and Djokovic's withdrawal. Zverev relies heavily on a powerful serve and a very potent and incisive backhand, combined with great speed and movement on these courts.

Van de Zandschulp B. vs. Humbert U.
Although the Dutchman comfortably passed the first round today, he's been playing with many errors and uncertainties, which could cost him against an opponent like Humbert. Humbert, on the other hand, prefers faster courts but doesn't shy away from clay, and these conditions could favor him, especially if he gets his first serves in to set up his powerful backhand. For the Dutchman, it will be crucial to improve his first serve percentage, which has been lacking. Finding that could give him an advantage and possibly extend a match he's still likely to lose.

Hurkacz H. vs. Draper J.
Both players rely heavily on their serves, but the substantial difference in this match could be the players' physical conditions. Hurkacz, after reaching the semifinals in Monte Carlo, decided to take a week off, so he might be much fresher compared to Draper, who played in Munich and had tough matches, including today's first-round win in three sets. I think there could be a match, but in the end, I see the Pole as the favorite.

Maroszan F. vs. Cerundolo F.
Here, we have a match that could be exciting and, above all, hard-fought. Both players like to use their serves to open up the court and finish points quickly, preferably with their forehands. However, neither has been very consistent with their serves, often being attacked on their second serves. Maroszan knows these courts well, having played almost all his matches here last year, but he seemed to be in poor physical condition. Could he be holding back to prepare better for Rome, where he performs better??

Rublev A. vs. Bagnis F.
Rublev is coming off a period of mixed results, having won a match over two weeks ago. Surely, these courts favor him to unleash his forehand after the serve. However, watch out for Bagnis' variations, as he might rightly decide to make his opponent run forward often and increase the trajectories to disrupt Rublev's rhythm. In the end, I believe the Russian will take it home, but not so easily.

Tabelo A. vs. Cobolli F.
Tabelo is coming from a defeat in the semifinals against Fucsovics in Romania, but he has shown to be very competent on pure clay, although he prefers faster surfaces like here in Madrid. His serve and forehand are definitely his strongest and most consistent shots. On the other hand, after the loss in Barcelona to Nadal, where he still showed something important, Cobolli could threaten the Chilean, but much will depend on his service percentages to avoid playing too far from the court right from the start.

Lajovic D. vs. Monteiro T.
Lajovic is coming off an excellent semifinal in the Barcelona tournament, where he only lost in the third set to Tsitsipas, regaining much confidence with his main shots, namely his serve and forehand. On the other side, he faces a player coming from the qualifiers, who, although a fighter, often makes some really easy mistakes. For me, this match doesn't have much of a story, but it will also depend a lot on Lajovic's condition.

Altmaier D. vs. Fils A.
Both players love this surface, especially here in Madrid where the ball travels a bit more. For both, their service percentages will be crucial to attack, with Altmaier relying on his forehand and Fils on his backhand. The Frenchman's variations on the one-handed backhand could make a significant difference against Altmaier, who might struggle. I predict a hard-fought match that could go to the third, maybe with Fils coming out on top?

Darderi L. vs. Fritz T.
Darderi, despite the win against Monfils today, maintained a very passive and distant position from the court, which nevertheless paid off due to Monfils' numerous errors. If he decides to use this strategy against Fritz, it might not pay off given Fritz's greater confidence and shot power, which I believe will make the difference in the match. However, Darderi could still put up a fight, especially in the first set.

Griekspoor T. vs. Daniel T.
Griekspoor certainly prefers faster surfaces, but given his abilities, especially with his serve and forehand, he should be able to comfortably lead the match against an opponent who already struggled in the first round against someone quite similar to the Dutchman. Daniel will need to be clever in exploiting every second of his opponent's game to try to attack and create an opportunity.

Munar J. vs. Struff J.L
Munar, a classic Spanish player who uses high trajectories and many drop shots to make his opponents run, could employ this tactic against Struff. Struff is a very competent player on these courts, as evidenced by the final he reached last season. He'll rely heavily on the first two shots of the rally, forcing the serve and trying to finish with his forehand, often anticipating responses.

Musetti L. vs. Seyboth Wild T.
Both players are strong and rely on their serves and forehands, struggling a bit more on the backhand side. Musetti is currently experiencing inconsistency, alternating between top-20 level shots and serious unforced errors. Seyboth Wild, on the other hand, is playing his best tennis in the last two years, relying heavily on attacking his opponents' shots and consistently playing on the offense. It could be a hard-fought match that could end in the third, perhaps with the Italian winning.

Navone M. vs. Rune H.
Navone has the highest winning percentage on red clay among all players and is showing great tennis, alternating between spin shots and powerful accelerations, especially with his forehand. He faces a player who plays very well on clay, particularly on this one, thanks to his serve and backhand, which could pose a threat to anyone. However, pay attention to the mental factor, which often causes decisive blackouts for him.