The Miami Masters gets underway on Wednesday afternoon as the bottom half of the draw takes the court. Serve-and-volleyer Maxime Cressy will take on Emil Ruusuvuori while Brandon Nakashima goes up against Soonwoo Kwon.
Maxime Cressy vs. Emil Ruusuvuori
Head-to-head – 0-0
World No. 71 Emil Ruusuvuori will take on No. 72 Maxime Cressy on the opening day of main draw play in Miami. Cressy started out the 2022 season on fire. He came out of nowhere to make the final of the Melbourne 250 and he made the round of 16 at the Australian Open, where he pushed Daniil Medvedev hard. Since then, though, it’s been nothing but bad news for the American: three tournaments on North American hard courts, three first-round losses.
Ruusuvuori has been a bit steadier than Cressy since the tour left Australia. He picked up one win in Indian Wells and another at the Phoenix Challenger.
Cressy plays a somewhat unconventional attacking style of game. Like the tours other big servers, the American plays many tiebreakers. Early reports indicate that the courts in Miami are playing fairly fast. That will benefit Cressy a bit, as he relies on his first serve. The problem for him is that he hasn’t been successful winning tiebreakers. A game like Ruusuvuori’s, which is steadier off the baseline, could spell trouble and another early exit for the former UCLA standout.
Cheryl pick: Ruusuvuori in 2
Ricky pick: Ruusuvuori in 3
Brandon Nakashima vs. Soonwoo Kwon
Head-to-head – 0-0
Following a promising summer in 2021, Brandon Nakashima has had a disappointing 2022. The American is an anemic 5-6 this year and his ranking has slipped to No. 80 from a career high of 62nd in November. Nakashima was dispatched in the first round of the Phoenix Challenger last week at the hands of Ruusuvuori.
Soonwoo Kwon has played a lot of tennis in 2022. Like Nakashima, Kwon hasn’t enjoyed much success so far. He has won one match at every tournament he entered except for a first-round ouster in Indian Wells at the hands of Laslo Djere.
If Nakashima finds some of the spark he showed last summer, he is more than capable of getting past Kwon. Unfortunately, he’s been so flat that the nod has to go to the South Korean.
Cheryl pick: Kwon in 2
Ricky pick: Kwon in 3
WWW?
The reports I hear are that Miami is actually playing slow.
Tough call but I’ll take Ruusuvuori in 3.
I like how Nakashima is playing slightly more than Kwon right now, that loss to Djere leaves a poor taste, Nakashima in 2.