Miami R3 previews and predictions: Del Potro vs. Nishikori, Sousa vs. Donaldson

Novak Djokovic is out of Juan Martin Del Potro’s section of the draw, but Kei Nishikori remains and the result is a blockbuster third-round showdown on Sunday in Miami. Joao Sousa and Jared Donaldson are also on the schedule.

(5) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (26) Kei Nishikori

Del Potro and Nishikori will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers when they clash in round three of the Miami Open on Sunday. The head-to-head series stands at 5-2 in Del Potro’s favor, but Nishikori has won two of their last three encounters dating back to the fall of 2016–after they did not face each other once from 2013 through 2015. Nishikori prevailed 7-5, 6-4 on the indoor hard courts of Basel two years ago, Del Potro got the job done 7-6(4), 6-3 on the red clay of Rome in 2017, and Nishikori won 6-4, 7-5 a few months later in Washington, D.C.

Although both players are making their way back from recurring injuries, Del Potro’s latest comeback is much further along given that he made it through basically a full 2017 campaign unscathed. The 29-year-old Argentine is back up to No. 6 in the world thanks in part to an 18-3 record this season that is highlighted by his first career Masters 1000 title last week in Indian Wells. Del Potro got right back in gear to hold off Robin Haase 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in front of a raucous Argentine crowd on Friday night. Nishikori, who dabbled into the Challenger circuit earlier this year as he recovers from a wrist problem, advanced with a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 victory over John Millman. The world No. 33 from Japan skipped Indian Wells after falling to Denis Shapovalov right away in Acapulco, and he is just 4-2 at the ATP level in 2018. At this point in time, Del Potro is at another level and the discrepancy in their two forehands will likely be way too much for Nishikori to overcome.

Pick: Del Potro in 2

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Joao Sousa vs. Jared Donaldson

Sunday’s only all-unseeded affair will pit Sousa against Donaldson–marking their first-ever head-to-head collision. But it hardly comes as any real surprise. For one, Donaldson has been on a consistent rise up the rankings and the 21-year-old American already owns eight ATP-level match victories this season. He reached the Acapulco semifinals and the Indian Wells second round, setting him up nicely for what is currently a third-round performance in Miami. Donaldson has advanced so far with straight-set defeats of veterans Marcos Baghdatis and Feliciano Lopez.

Sousa scraped past Ryan Harrison 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in the tournament’s first match on stadium court before benefitting from a favorable draw and routing a rusty David Goffin 6-0, 6-1 on Friday. This has not come out of nowhere for the 80th-ranked Portuguese, who is coming off a third-round showing in Indian Wells–where he outlasted Mikhail Youzhny in a third-set tiebreaker, upset Alexander Zverev, and then fell to eventual semifinalist Milos Raonic in three sets. Sunday’s showdown should be a high-quality contest, with a slight edge going to Donaldson because he loves playing at home in the United States and wields superior offensive firepower. Right now, the relative youngster is confident enough to use that offense such that it will get the best of Sousa’s counter-punching.

Pick: Donaldson in 3

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