Miami R1 previews and predictions: Fonseca vs. Tien, Diallo vs. Etcheverry

First-round action at the Miami Masters continues on Thursday, when the schedule is headlined by a NextGen showdown between Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien. Lucky loser Gabriel Diallo is facing Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Joao Fonseca vs. Learner Tien

It will be a rematch of the 2024 NextGen ATP Finals championship match when Fonseca and Tien meet again in round one of the Miami Open on Thursday. They actually faced each other twice in Milan, where Fonseca prevailed 4-0, 4-0, 1-4, 4-2 during round-robin competition and then lifted the trophy with a 2-4, 4-3(8), 4-0, 4-2 victory.

It has been full steam ahead for both guys in 2025. They were the talk of the Australian Open, where Fonseca upset Andrey Rublev and Tien’s fourth-round run featured a win over Daniil Medvedev. The 18-year-old Brazilian has done a better job of sustaining success, as he advanced one round at the Indian Wells Masters and then won an absolutely stacked Phoenix Challenger. Although Tien is an American, he will have much of the crowd against him; this might as well be a home match for Fonseca.

Pick: Fonseca in 3

 

(LL) Gabriel Diallo vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Tallon Griekspoor was supposed to be in this matchup, but the Indian Wells quarterfinalist withdrew because of a foot injury. Enter Diallo, who defeated Yosuke Watanuki in qualifying before losing to Brandon Holt. The world No. 87 also got into the Indian Wells main draw as a lucky loser, so DiaLLo is certainly living up to his name.

Up first for the Canadian in the main draw is Etcheverry, whom he has never faced. It has mostly been a struggle in 2025 for the 44th-ranked Argentine, who is by far at his best on clay but did not even do much on the Golden Swing. Etcheverry lost right away in Indian Wells to Jakub Mensik and then fell to Mensik yet again in his second match at last week’s Cap Cana Challenger. Still, Diallo has cooled off in a pretty big way since a hot end to his 2024 campaign–giving Etcheverry the edge in this one.

Pick: Etcheverry in 3