The field is in action on Friday at the Miami Masters with Tommy Paul taking on the unpredictable Alexander Bublik and French veteran Gael Monfils facing Jiri Lehecka. It marks the start of round two.
(12) Tommy Paul vs. Alexander Bublik
Last week Alexander Bublik reached the final of the Phoenix Challenger, but not before he challenged quarterfinal opponent Corentin Moutet to a fist fight in the parking lot after their match. The temperamental player from Kazakhstan is ranked 80th in the world with just three main-tour wins this year (including his Miami Open first-round victory over Sebastian Baez on Wednesday).
There isn’t likely to be any such fireworks in his second-round match against Tommy Paul. The No. 12 seed has a notably calm demeanor that rarely pushes his opponent’s buttons. Paul has a tidy 2-0 record over Bublik; their latest match was a straight-set affair at Wimbledon in 2024. While Bublik played much better in Phoenix, he is unlikely to have enough to upset the American on his preferred surface in front of the home crowd.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 2
Ricky pick: Paul in 2
(26) Jiri Lehecka vs. Gael Monfils
Popular French player Gael Monfils is No. 46 in the world, but it’s a deceptive ranking for the way the 38-year-old is playing in 2025. Monfils started off his season with his first title since 2023 and followed up his victory in Auckland with a run to the round of 16 at the Australian Open. He wasn’t quite as successful in Indian Wells, where he lost in the third round to Grigor Dimitrov, but he has still been playing well.
Jiri Lehecka, a 23-year-old from Czechia, also started off his season with a title. However, he failed to win a match in either Dubai or Indian Wells. Lehecka earned a bye in Miami, which means his match against Monfils will be his first on the courts of Miami. While it might be a stretch to call a Monfils win an upset, look for the seeded player to be at a significant disadvantage. The crowd will almost certainly get behind Monfils, who is a sentimental favorite.
Cheryl pick: Monfils in 3
Ricky pick: Monfils in 2
WWW?
TP in 3 (Bublik CAN play when motivated!!)….and Lechecka in 3
close to correct
Bublik in 3
welp