Miami R4 previews and predictions: Zverev vs. Khachanov, Alcaraz vs. Musetti

Seven of the eight remaining players in the top half of the Miami draw are seeded, so there are some all-seeded showdowns on the menu for Tuesday. Alexander Zverev is facing Karen Khachanov and Carlos Alcaraz runs into Lorenzo Musetti.

(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (15) Karen Khachanov

Amazingly, Zverev and Khachanov have not faced each other since playing one of the biggest matches of their respective careers: the final of the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021. Zverev captured the gold medal with a 6-3, 6-1 beatdown, improving to 3-2 in the head-to-head series. They will finally meet again on Tuesday in Miami.

Fast forward three years and both big hitters are still going strong–Zverev after missing significant time in 2022 due to an ankle injury. The world No. 5 is back to his best and showing it already in 2024, with a 16-5 record that includes United Cup heroics for Germany and a semifinal showing at the Australian Open. So far this fortnight he has dismissed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Chris Eubanks in straight sets. Khachanov opened with a routine win over Laslo Djere but needed a third-set tiebreaker to hold off Francisco Cerundolo on Monday. The 16th-ranked Russian has the forehand edge in this matchup, but the backhand and serve are sizable advantages for Zverev. Although this should be a lot more competitive than their Olympic encounter, look for the fourth seed to advance.

Pick: Zverev in 2

(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (23) Lorenzo Musetti

After triumphing at Wimbledon and losing an epic Cincinnati final against Novak Djokovic, things started going downhill for Alcaraz. He struggled at the end of 2023 and then sustained an ankle injury that forced him to retire from his opening match in Rio de Janeiro last month. To say that the second-ranked Spaniard was a question mark going into the Sunshine Double would be an understatement. Well, there are no more questions. Alcaraz promptly rolled to the Indian Wells title–ending Jannik Sinner’s winning streak in the process–and so far in Miami has crushed Roberto Carballes Baena and Gael Monfils in straight sets.

Up next for the 20-year-old is Musetti, who is 1-3 lifetime in the head-to-head series (1-2 on the main tour). Musetti prevailed in the 2022 Hamburg final, but Alcaraz turned the tide in 2023 with victories at the French Open and ATP 500 in Beijing–never losing more than three games in any set. Musetti has done well this fortnight to knock off Roman Safiullin and Ben Shelton, but Alcaraz is obviously a whole different beast. In relatively quick conditions, this will likely be one-way traffic for the favorite.

Pick: Alcaraz in 2