A couple of all-seeded showdowns are on the third-round schedule at the Miami Masters, where Americans Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul are in action. They are facing Stefanos Tsitsipas and Francisco Cerundolo, respectively.
(24) Sebastian Korda vs. (9) Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas and Korda will be going head-to-head for the second time in their career when they clash in round three of the Miami Open on Sunday. Their only previous meeting came at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters, where Tsitsipas cruised 7-6(5), 6-3.
The 10th-ranked Greek has heated up this season on the heels of a lackluster 2024 campaign, most recently capturing a title in Dubai and reaching the fourth round in Indian Wells. Conditions in Miami aren’t quite as good for him as they are in Tennis Paradise, but Tsitsipas at least managed to get past Chun-Hsin Tseng on Friday. A matchup with Korda is a favorable one, as the 25th-ranked American is just 4-4 this year after beating Eliot Spizzirri in his opening match. Look for a more in-form Tsitsipas to win this one with relative ease.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 2
(23) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (12) Tommy Paul
It’s nowhere near a Joao Fonseca kind of situation, but Miami might as well be South American when it comes to this Masters 1000 tournament. As an Argentine, Cerundolo is among the beneficiaries. This has to be the world No. 24’s favorite event outside of clay, as he made a semifinal run in 2022 and advanced to the quarters in 2023. Cerundolo is 10-3 lifetime in Miami following a straight-set beatdown of Alexandre Muller on Friday.
Up next for the 23rd seed on Sunday is a seventh meeting with Paul. Surprisingly, Cerundolo leads the head-to-head series 4-2 after sweeping both of their matchups last season. Paul has cooled off a bit since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals and he is a mere 5-5 all time in Miami after scraping past Alexander Bublik in three sets. This is a good opportunity for Cerundolo to pull off a minor upset.
Pick: Cerundolo in 3
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Tpas in 3; TP in 2
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