Nick Kyrgios is coming off a routine scoreline that was anything but routine as he heads into a fourth-round Miami date with Borna Coric on Tuesday. Nikoloz Basilashvili and Felix Auger-Aliassime are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
(11) Borna Coric vs. (27) Nick Kyrgios
Coric and Kyrgios will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers when they clash in round four of the Miami Open on Tuesday afternoon. Kyrgios is leading the head-to-head series 2-1 after prevailing 7-6(1), 0-6, 6-3 at last summer’s Cincinnati Masters. That was a wild one in which the Aussie tanked the second set, and he is obviously no stranger to those kinds of bizarre matches. In fact, Kyrgios just played one on Sunday night. Miami’s 27th seed crushed Dusan Lajovic by a routine 6-3, 6-1 scoreline, but the 57 minutes were complete with underhand serves, no-look shots, and a fan getting ejected.
Coric, on the other hand, is a no-nonsense customer who was an alternate for the Nitto ATP Finals last season. The 13th-ranked Croat has struggled to build on such success so far in 2019, with a 3-4 record in his seven most recent matches prior to this fortnight. But he is through to the fourth round thanks to three-set victories over Roberto Carballes Baena and Jeremy Chardy. Based on current form and Kyrgios’ impressive history in Miami (12-3 lifetime with two semifinal showings), this could be another quick one for last month’s Acapulco champion.
Pick: Kyrgios in 2
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(Q) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (17) Nikoloz Basilashvili
Auger-Aliassime has been the breakout star of the last two months on the ATP Tour as he heads into one of the biggest matches of his career. The 18-year-old finished runner-up in Rio de Janeiro, reached the Sao Paulo quarterfinals, advanced to the third round in Indian Wells, and now finds himself in the Miami fourth round. Auger-Aliassime, ranked 58th and into the top 50 next week even if he loses on Tuesday, qualified for the main draw and parlayed that success into defeats of Casper Ruud, Marton Fucsovics, and Hubert Hurkacz.
Next up for the Canadian is a first-ever showdown against Basilashvili, who has played only two matches at this tournament compared to his opponent’s five. The 19th-ranked Georgian is an unspectacular 9-6 in 2019, with two opening losses to players outside the top 95 (including in Indian Wells at the hands of Prajnesh Gunneswaran). Basilashvili has advanced this fortnight by beating Mischa Zverev and Robin Haase in straight sets. The No. 17 seed’s forehand has been wild of late and will be seriously tested by Auger-Aliassime–who can come close to Basilashvili in the firepower department while also playing far superior defense.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 3
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