The entire Miami Masters fourth round will be played on Tuesday, headlined in part by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev. Tsistsipas is going up against Carlos Alcaraz, while Medvedev faces Jenson Brooksby.
(3) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (14) Carlos Alcaraz
Tsitsipas and Alcaraz will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the Miami Open on Tuesday night. Their only previous encounter came at the 2021 U.S. Open, where Alcaraz pulled off what was a huge upset at the time in an epic 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5) thriller. Fast forward seven months and the 16th-ranked Spaniard is not much of an underdog against anyone these days. He is among the hottest players on tour in 2022, with a 14-2 record that includes a title in Rio de Janeiro, a semifinal run in Indian Wells, and Miami wins over Marton Fucsovics and Marin Cilic.
This season has not been as kind to Tsitsipas, who is still searching for a first title in what is now his sixth tournament. A shoulder injury seems to be a thing of the past, but nonetheless peak form has not returned. In fact, it hasn’t been on display since the 2021 French Open. Although the fifth-ranked Greek did well to get past J.J. Wolf and Alex de Minaur in his first two Miami matches, Alcaraz is a whole different beast. Both his defense and groundstrokes are superior right now and Tsitsipas won’t win many free points on serve in these slow conditions.
Pick: Alcaraz in 3
(1) Daniil Medvedev vs. Jenson Brooksby
Medvedev’s draw in Miami has been just what the doctor ordered for a player who has struggled–by his lofty standards–since the Australian Open. Andy Murray is not the easiest of opening opponents, but that matchup is an extremely favorable one for Medvedev (and it showed in a 6-4, 6-2 beatdown). The top seed then went up against Pedro Martinez, who is more adept on clay (Medvedev rolled 6-3, 6-4 on Monday). Now he runs into Brooksby, who plays a somewhat similar brand of tennis but has a far weaker serve and obviously much less experience.
It also doesn’t help the 21-year-old American that he endured a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 battle with Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday. Brooksby trailed 4-0 in the final set only to reel off six consecutive games and triumph after two hours and 59 minutes. This may not be the most competitive contest on Tuesday’s jam-packed schedule, but it is sure to produce some absolutely wild rallies.
Pick: Medvedev in 2
WWW?
Tpas playing confident, composed tennis right now…in 3; and Med rolls in 2.
I read on here it was fast conditions in Miami … heavy, humid and slow sounds more realistic
Meddy not playing well but still manages to win, that shows us how good a player he is now. Next for him will be the defending champion Hurkarc, not an easy opponent.
Tsitsipas’s game seems to be regressing, making far too many errors. If he continues to be like this, Alcaraz will soon pass him in the rankings.
Tsitsipas is making far too many errors, if he continues like this, Alcaraz will soon pass him in the rankings.
There are not many spectators at the Meddy match; the Kyrgios match attracts a bigger crowd, people are more interested in the bad guy?
Without any of the big three, this Miami tournament looks a bit boring; the main attraction now may be that Alcaraz kid! Now, he has just beaten Tsitsipas the no 5 player in straight sets! Well done Alcaraz; poor from Tsitsipas, couldn’t manage to hold serve after breaking and loses in straight sets!
Tennis is way more than the Big 3. Lot’s of exciting young and upcoming players in the loop. Get tired of people whining if they aren’t playing, because guess what, pretty soon they will all be gone for good.
Exciting? With Meddy and Tsitsipas playing relatively poorly, and they’re top five players, can one get excited about tennis these days?? And what about Berrittini and Rublev, top eight and are gone now before R4?
I remember those days with the likes of Ferrer, Delpo, Berdych, Tsonga and Murray consistently playing good tennis to reach the QFs of most of the important tournaments, now that they’re gone, it’s only the big three or big two who can play consistently well in most events.
I’ll watch Alcaraz closely, he is the up and coming star, the future big star of tennis. Tsitsipas is disappointing to say the least; Zverev is inconsistent and Meddy, when the no.one position is within reach, tends to perform relatively poorly as if he couldn’t take the pressure of reaching or having reached no.one.
I see Alcaraz the real threat to these current top players (he may or may not reach the stature of the big three, who knows? Its very much dependent on the level of his opposition, whether they’re quality players).
Tsit is in danger of turning into another Dimi, all promise and no delivery.
His ROS is really poor, I think he needs a new coach on board.
Tsitsi has a new coach. I’m glad attention-seeking NK is gone! Was just a question of time until he imploded. Or exploded, whichever. Meddy seems to be playing pretty well in Miami, through to the quarters anyway, dismantled Brooksby. I’d love to see Alcaraz win Miami this week. Remember Rafa almost winning Miami in 2005?
The current Big Two will probably return at some point during the clay season and we’ll see if Rafa has forgotten how to play on clay and whether NoVax has forgotten how to play by then. I’m betting not to both. Clay is really Tsitsi’s best surface too and Zverev’s not bad on it. I suspect Alcaraz is pretty good on clay too. Could be interesting but I hope not! Rafa needs some clay wins!
Miami can be a bit of a damp squib after IW. I wish they were apart in the calendar.On the Big Three, I don’t miss them much unless it’s a Slam.They have been around so long it’s wearing thin
The game will suffer when the Big3 retire, without a doubt. I’ve been watching Rafa’s replays this year during Miami because the matches ar just not up to standard. Alcaraz is the only one worth watching.
I am not thrilled with this crop of young tennis players. Meddy can’t seem to handle being #1. Tsitsipas needs help. He has not been playing well. Maybe the new coach can help. Zverev is trying to get his head on straight.
Berrettini and Rublev are out already. Sinner has had to withdraw from birth IW and Miami.
What I really dislike is the sense of entitlement and brattiness among these young guys. I think Alcaraz could be the next great player. We have to wait and see if he realizes all this potential. I think he is the real thing. I just hope it doesn’t go to his head.
Sinner has had to withdraw from BOTH IW and Miami.
????
Medvedev has lost 1 match since becoming #1 and it was a tournament where conditions are terrible for him.
nobody has any idea yet how he will handle being #1
Ricky,
I assume the questions marks were directed at my comment. I think sometimes a player gets to #1 and can feel the pressure. But since Meddy and Novak are still very close in the rankings, I expect that Meddy will be #1 again. So we will see his he handles it. Maybe it was not fair to judge him so quickly.
Miami can be a bit of a damp squib after IW. I wish they were apart in the calendar.On the Big Three, I don’t miss them much unless it’s a Slam.They have been around so long it’s wearing thin
I hear Theim is back and Ash Barty has retired! Happy to see Theim back and it’s a shame Barty retired!! I was thinking to my self the day Rafa retires, I will cry a lot!!! I mean I look forward to Alcaraz matches but he is not Rafa! The good thing is though I love tennis and with Alcaraz on tour at least that’s still something!
Andy’s obviously done but, like you, I love tennis and need some replacements! Will never feel the same way about any other player but it does make tennis matches a lot easier to watch!
Every cloud!
I want to see the big three because the other younger players are not consistently good, simple as that. Just when I thought the likes of Meddy, Zverev and Tsitsipas had finally reached the top of the rankings and would be consistently doing well in most events, they started to falter and dropped out early in tournaments which they should play well in.
If the top players can be so easily beaten by anyone, then players may take turn to become no.1, warming the seat for the next player waiting in line, not something I like to see happening.
I don’t expect long reigns like the big three, but at least be number one for two to three years before being replaced. I think Alcaraz may be the only hope as the next big star in the making.
I like Meddy tbh, for his intelligence and defiance, though he can be rude or brash at times. I think he can be number one for two/three years after Djoko/Rafa retired, and before being replaced by younger players. I like Tsitsipas’ game but he has problem with the execution of his game, something he needs to fix up there, in his mindset.
The likes of FAA and Shapo showed promises when they were still teenagers, but somewhere along something went wrong and both of them imo could not fulfil those promises, at least not yet, when they’re in their early twenties now. FAA has Toni Nadal as his coach, and he’s in top ten now, and has made a slam SF I think, so maybe he’s heading in the right direction. Shapo made the SF of Wimbledon last year but has not done well since.
Sinner can be good but his game is still not complete and he’s already being hit by injuries when he’s only 20yo, not injury prone like Rafa I hope.
Sebastian Korda may be the one to watch among the young Americans, I think he can be a very good player going forward, but I don’t know whether he is good on clay or not.
I think my bet will be on Alcaraz, he has shown he can be good and clay and HCs, like Zverev and Tsitsipas. Let’s wait and see how he plays on grass.
Really like Korda’s game, so hope he can leap over the next hurdle. And also like Alcaraz’s game a lot. I think he’ll be very good on clay, he moves so well.
So many ppl have high expectations for Alcaraz, hope he feels the same way about himself too! 😀
Don’t know where to post this so leaving it here.
After losing his first match back after being out for so long Domi Thiem tested positive for Covid.
Poor guy can’t catch a break!
Doesn’t seem like he will be a force again during the clay season…
Yes I heard that as well!! Hope he recovers speedily!!