Daniil Medvedev is the No. 1 seed at a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career and he will continue his bid for the Miami title on Sunday. Medvedev is going up against Alexei Popyrin, while Felix Auger-Aliassime is facing John Isner.
(1) Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexei Popyrin
Medvedev was already the Miami Open favorite as the top seed and No. 2 player in the world, and then Alexander Zverev vacated the top half of the draw on Friday. Thus the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion and recent Australian Open runner-up is a huge favorite at least to reach the championship match this fortnight. Medvedev had no trouble avoiding the same fate as Zverev in his opening match, beating Yen-Hsun Lu 6-2, 6-2. The 25-year-old is now 15-2 for this 2021 campaign.
Up next for Medevedev on Sunday is a third career meeting with Popyrin, who trails the head-to-head series 2-0. The 86th-ranked Australian succumbed 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 at Wimbledon in 2019 before falling 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 at the 2020 Aussie Open. This one should be more competitive, as Popyrin is playing the best tennis of his career. The 21-year-old has already earned 11 of his 26 lifetime ATP-level match victories this season–which includes a title in Singapore and straight-set wins in Miami over Feliciano Lopez and Reilly Opelka. Still, Medvedev will likely get too many balls back in play and once again break down Popyrin from the back of the court.
Pick: Medvedev in 2
(11) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (18) John Isner
Isner and Auger-Aliassime will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Sunday. Their only previous encounter came at this same Miami tournament in 2019, and it was a typical Isner match. The 6’10” American prevailed 7-6(3), 7-6(4) in a semifinal showdown that surprisingly featured two service breaks apiece despite the two-tiebreaker scoreline.
After advancing to his second straight Miami title match, Isner finished runner-up to Roger Federer. He had lifted the trophy in 2018 for the biggest result of his career, toppling Alexander Zverev in three sets. Three years later, Isner does not appear to be in title-contending shape. The world No. 28 has played sparingly of late; his three-set win over Mackenzie McDonald on Friday was just his third in five matches this season. Auger-Aliassime, on other hand, is 10-4 in 2021 after easing past an in-form Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-4 during second-round action. A much more confident Canadian should be able to return serve too well for Isner in this Miami rematch.
Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 2
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