Tomas Berdych will be playing his first match of the tournament when he goes up against Steve Johnson on Sunday in Miami. David Goffin and Viktor Troicki are also in third-round action.
(31) Steve Johnson vs. (7) Tomas Berdych
Berdych and Johnson will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round three of the Miami Open on Sunday. Their only previous encounter came last spring in Indian Wells, where Berdych cruised 6-4, 6-2. The seventh-ranked Czech is coming off a fourth-round performance in the desert (lost to Milos Raonic) and he has not yet played a match at this event because Rajeev Ram withdrew on Friday.
Johnson obviously had a much tougher route to the last 32. The 36th-ranked American ran into a red-hot Alexander Zverev but managed to get the job done in straight sets with a 7-6(9), 7-6(3) triumph. It was a much-needed win for Johnson, who is still just 5-7 for his 2016 campaign. But the No. 31 seed should have gained confidence from what was a fine performance against Zverev, and Berdych has no matches under his belt with which to adjust to Miami conditions. This one should be more competitive than their 2015 meeting, but Berdych’s penetrating groundstrokes to the Johnson backhand will prove to be a puzzle that the underdog cannot solve.
Pick: Berdych in 3
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(19) Viktor Troicki vs. (15) David Goffin
Goffin’s fortnight did not get off to a good start, and the fact that his mind has to be on the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels cannot be of any help. The Belgian withdrew from his first-round doubles match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Thursday citing an illness, but he was apparently good to go for singles on Saturday. Goffin made quick 6-4, 6-4 work of an in-form Marcel Granollers to maintain momentum from having made a surprising run to the Indian Wells semifinals.
Up next for the world No. 15 is a fourth career contest against Troicki. The head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Goffin, who most recently prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 three years ago in Indian Wells. He is 2-0 against Troicki in ATP tournaments, while the Serb’s lone victory came in 2013 Davis Cup action by virtue of a comeback from two sets down in Belgium. Troicki is a stellar 14-7 this season with a title in Sydney and he is coming off a 6-7(6), 7-6(9), 7-6(3) win over Inigo Cervantes on Friday. The 19th seed may still be feeling the effects of that two-hour and 53-minute battle, and a date with a counter-puncher like Goffin is probably not what the doctor ordered.
Pick: Goffin in 2
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Berdych in three and Goffin in two.
Ditto