Miami Open R3 previews and picks: Gasquet vs. Paire, Cilic vs. Simon

A distinct French flavor has already graced the Miami Open and more of the same will continue when Richard Gasquet, Benoit Paire, and Gilles Simon take the court on Sunday. Gasquet and Paire are going head-to-head.

(10) Richard Gasquet vs. (20) Benoit Paire

It will be an all-French affair when Gasquet and Paire, who played doubles with each other earlier this month in Indian Wells, square off for the third time in their careers during third-round action at the Miami Open on Sunday. Gasquet has won each of their previous encounters; 6-2, 6-3 in the 2013 Montpellier final and 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 later that season on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo.

Paire picked up a much-needed victory on Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Mikhail Youzhny. The world No. 22 had not won a match since reaching the Marseille semifinals in mid-February. Gasquet has endured no such issues with his form of late. Miami’s 10th seed captured the Montpellier title, made it to the last 16 in Indian Wells, and beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-4 on Friday night. This battle of backhands will likely go to Gasquet, who has a huge edge in the forehand department and surely in confidence, too.

Pick: Gasquet in 2

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(11) Marin Cilic vs. (18) Gilles Simon

Cilic and Simon will be facing each other for the sixth time in their careers on Sunday. All five of their previous encounters have gone the distance–including a trio of five-setters. The two veterans squared off twice in 2014, having previously gone almost six full years without colliding. Simon won 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2 at the Australian Open before Cilic scored a 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory en route to the U.S. Open title. The 19th-ranked Frenchman leads the head-to-head series 4-1, including 2-1 on hard courts.

Simon is a disappointing 7-6 for the season and has not been able to recover after failing to capitalize on 100 unforced errors by Novak Djokovic in their five-set struggle Down Under. He at least showed some promising signs in a 7-5, 6-1 rout of Juan Monaco on Friday. Cilic advanced by defeating Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-1. The 11th-ranked Croat is a similarly mediocre 13-8 during this 2016 campaign, but he is coming off a quarterfinal showing in Indian Wells. Simon’s consistency has been too much for Cilic in the past and that will likely be the case again.

Pick: Simon in 3

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