Nick Kyrgios suddenly has a lot of momentum behind him and will try to keep it going at Fabio Fognini’s expense on Sunday in Miami. Jannik Sinner and Pablo Carreno Busta are also aiming for a place in the fourth round.
(WC) Nick Kyrgios vs. (31) Fabio Fognini
Fognini and Kyrgios 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 at the same stage of this same event in 2018 (albeit when it was held at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne), with Kyrgios cruising 6-3, 6-3. The 26-year-old Aussie is a heavy this time around thanks to his sudden hot streak. Coming off a quarterfinal performance in Indian Wells, Kyrgios followed up a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Adrian Mannarino with an alarming 6-3, 6-0 beatdown of Andrey Rublev.
There are no such encouraging signs for Fognini. The 34th-ranked Italian has won only seven matches this season, including a mere three on hard courts. He needed two hours and 51 minutes to outlast Taro Daniel 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(5) on Friday. These conditions are favorable for Kyrgios, who loves playing in Miami and should hit Fognini off the court as long as he stays motivated.
Pick: Kyrgios in 2
(17) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. (9) Jannik Sinner
Sinner has a ton of points to defend after finishing runner-up at this tournament in 2021. The 11th-ranked Italian’s quest to go one step farther in 2022 almost never got off the ground, as he faced three match points against Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round. Nonetheless, Sinner came back for a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) victory after two hours and 40 minutes.
The only previous encounter between Sinner and Carreno Busta was something similar; the Spaniard prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(6) on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam. Of course, Sinner is a completely different player more than two years later and Carreno Busta has gone somewhat in the other direction. The world No. 19 is in decent form, but he is a modest 9-5 in 2022 following Friday’s 6-3, 6-2 rout of a struggling David Goffin. Carreno Busta could win this one on clay, but at one of Sinner’s favorite tournaments it should mostly be one-way traffic.
Pick: Sinner in 2
Leave a Reply