It will be a rematch of a 2022 Miami Open epic when Jannik Sinner and Emil Ruusuvuori meet again on Wednesday, this time in the quarterfinals.
Last year they faced each other in the second round, when Sinner came back from 5-3 down in the third set and saved three match points in the ensuing tiebreaker before triumphing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(8).
In fact, this marks their third Miami encounter in as many years. They also squared off at this Masters 1000 event in 2021, when Sinner cruised 6-3, 6-2. He now leads the head-to-head series 4-0 at the ATP level, having also prevailed 6-2, 6-4 at the 2021 Washington, D.C. tournament 7-5, 6-3 last spring on the red clay of Monte-Carlo. Ruusuvuori does have one win over Sinner, however, via a 6-3, 6-4 decision at the 2020 Canberra Challenger.
Fast forward to 2023 and Sinner is an even bigger favorite in Miami than he was against Ruusuvuori in 2021 and 2022. The 21-year-old Italian is up to No. 11 in the world and is currently fifth in the live race to Turin. He is 19-4 this season with a title in Montpellier, a runner-up showing in Rotterdam, and a semifinal run in Indian Wells–plus an impressive beatdown of Andrey Rublev on Tuesday. If you think those numbers are good, consider Sinner’s history in Miami: he is 11-1 in non-retirement matches, including a final appearance in 2021 (lost to Hubert Hurkacz).
Two years Sinner’s senior, Ruusuvuori is also making his way up the rankings–albeit in much slower fashion. The Finn is projected to reach a career-high of 37th even if he loses this match. He is a decent 10-8 so far in 2023, with a third-round effort in Indian Wells followed by Miami victories over Nuno Borges, Roberto Bautista Agut, Taro Daniel, and Botic van de Zandschulp.
Ruusuvuori can never be discounted from any match given how big and clean he strikes the ball from the back of the court. However, this is simply a tough matchup for him. The world No. 54 plays a very similar style of game to Sinner, but Sinner does everything just a little bit better.
Count on the No. 10 seed advancing, and it almost certainly won’t be as close as it was last spring.
Pick: Sinner in 2
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I think it’s a popcorn match-up…..Sinner in a very close 3.