It will be an all-French affair when Ugo Humbert and Gael Monfils meet in Miami on Wednesday night. The first day of main-draw action also includes a showdown between Emil Ruusuvuori and qualifier Nuno Borges.
Ugo Humbert vs. (PR) Gael Monfils
Monfils is just now beginning his comeback from a foot injury that he suffered last August during the American hard-court summer. The 36-year-old played in Indian Wells and at the Phoenix Challenger, losing right away on both occasions. However, Monfils at least showed some improvement from a 6-3, 6-1 loss to Jordan Thompson in the desert to a 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3 setback against Alexander Shevchenko in Phoenix.
Up first for the world No. 280 at the Miami Open on Wednesday night is second career contest against Humbert. Their only previous encounter came at Wimbledon in 2019, when Humbert recovered from a two-set deficit and took a 3-0 lead in the fifth before Monfils retired. Humbert is another Frenchman who fell on hard times in recent seasons, but he is back on the rise. The 24-year-old is 6-4 on the main tour in 2023 to go along with a runner-up showing at a Challenger event on the indoor hard courts of France. Given Humbert’s current form and Monfils’ rust, this should be a straightforward result.
Pick: Humbert in 2
Emil Ruusuvuori vs. (Q) Nuno Borges
To say that Borges isn’t quite on the same level as Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev would be a gross understatement, but this is a guy who is also on an absolute roll right now. Borges just won the Phoenix Challenger on Sunday for his second such title of the season and with zero days off in between events he successfully qualified for the Miami main draw thanks to victories over Steve Johnson and Borna Gojo.
Unfortunately for the world No. 68, there is plenty of bad news heading into main-draw action on Wednesday. He landed in the top half of the bracket, which means he once again doesn’t get a day off. That is especially problematic since Borges’ final qualifying match against Gojo resulted in a 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(6) scoreline that last two hours and 30 minutes. Now he has to face one of the best unseeded players in the entire field in Ruusuvuori. The 23-year-old Finn played well in Indian Wells and will likely capitalize on a fatigued opponent.
Pick: Ruusuvuori in 2
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