Miami R3 previews and predictions: Alcaraz vs. Monfils, Shelton vs. Musetti

Fourth-round spots at the Miami Masters will be up for grabs when Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton take the court on Monday. Alcaraz awaits a blockbuster matchup with Gael Monfils, while Shelton runs into Lorenzo Musetti.

(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Gael Monfils

Alcaraz and Monfils will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they meet at the Miami Open on Monday. Their only previous encounter also came during the Sunshine Double, as Alcaraz prevailed 7-5, 6-1 two years ago in Indian Wells. The Spaniard ended up losing in the semifinals of that tournament, but he has since triumphed in Tennis Paradise twice in a row. Alcaraz’s most recent Indian Wells title gives him a ton of momentum heading into Miami, where he eased past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.

Monfils is healthy and in resurgent form at 37 years old. The Frenchman has won 10 matches this season, including five combined so far in Indian Wells and Miami. Building on his fourth-round performance in the desert, Monfils has advanced in South Beach by defeating Dusan Lajovic and Los Cabos champion Jordan Thompson. As well as Monfils is playing, this match is on Alcaraz’s racket. Because the top seed has regained his confidence in major way and the conditions are playing pretty fast, his offense will likely be way too good for Monfils’ defense.

Pick: Alcaraz in 2

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(23) Lorenzo Musetti vs. (16) Ben Shelton

Flash, flare, and general fanfare will be the order of business when Shelton and Musetti entertain the Miami crowd on Monday. Although Musetti’s game style may be aesthetically pleasing, there is more substance with Shelton’s current brand of tennis. The 21-year-old American wields the biggest serve on tour and has used it to reach No. 17 in the rankings. Shelton advanced two rounds in Indian Wells (lost to Jannik Sinner) and opened on Saturday in Miami with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Martin Landaluce.

Musetti is a capable all-court player, but he probably can’t wait to get on clay since hard courts have mostly been unkind to him so far in 2024. The 24th-ranked Italian is just 6-8 this season and was 1-5 in his last six matches before beating Roman Safiullin 7-5, 6-1 in the Miami second round. This is a bad matchup for Musetti and he will have to raise his level considerably if he wants to compete on Monday. Shelton’s powerful lefty serve and forehand will likely abuse Musetti’s one-handed backhand early and often.

Pick: Shelton in 2

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