Other than Juan Martin Del Potro, nobody is enjoying a more productive Sunshine Double than Borna Coric. The Indian Wells semifinalist will face Alexander Zverev in the Miami quarters on Thursday, while Kevin Anderson collides with Pablo Carreno Busta.
(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (27) Borna Coric
Zverev and Coric will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Thursday. This rivalry between two potential future greats has been a disastrous one in its early stages for Zverev, who lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) at the 2015 Cincinnati Masters and 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 7-6(4) in the second round of last summer’s U.S. Open. The 20-year-old German has admitted that the latter result was one of the worst and most painful setbacks of his young career. As the favorite in what was a wide-open bottom half of the U.S. Open draw, Zverev had a massive opportunity in front of him but instead suffered yet another Grand Slam disappointment.
The world No. 5 never recovered from that loss in 2017, slumping the rest of the way to the tune of a 9-9 record in his last 18 matches. Zverev, however, is a solid 11-4 this season with a semifinal showing in Acapulco and Miami victories over Daniil Medvedev, David Ferrer, and Nick Kyrgios. Still, he is nowhere near as hot as Coric right now. The 36th-ranked Croat boasts a 14-4 record in 2018, which includes quarterfinal performances in Doha and Dubai, a semifinal run in Indian Wells, and three-set wins this fortnight a the expense of Leonardo Mayer, Jack Sock, and Denis Shapovalov. A third-round finisher in Miami last spring (upset Dominic Thiem, fell to Adrian Mannarino in a third-set tiebreaker), Coric likes these conditions and should maintain momentum by once again being too rock-solid from the baseline and putting too many balls back in play for Zverev’s liking.
Pick: Coric in 3
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(16) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. (6) Kevin Anderson
Anderson vs. Carreno Busta is also a rematch of a 2017 U.S. Open showdown–a shocking semifinal matchup won by Anderson 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. The 6’8” South African is a dominant 4-0 in the head-to-head series, including 3-0 on hard courts following a recent 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) success in the Indian Wells fourth round. Anderson has been without question one of the tour’s best players in 2018, with a 17-4 recorded that is highlighted by a title in New York, runner-up showings in Pune and Acapulco, and a quarterfinal finish in Indian Wells (lost to Coric in a third-set tiebreaker). The world No. 8 has remained on track in Miami thanks to defeats of Nikoloz Basilashvili, Karen Khachanov, and Frances Tiafoe.
Reaching the quarterfinals is already a much-needed strong result for Carreno Busta, who–like Anderson–struggled after the U.S. Open to throw away a spot in the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals (he ended up playing two matches in London as a replacement for Rafael Nadal). The 19th-ranked Spaniard also started slow in 2018 aside from a fourth-round appearance at the Australian Open, but he has picked up the pace in Miami by taking out Denis Istomin, Steve Johnson, and Fernando Verdasco all in easy straight sets. In what is almost certain to be another competitive contest, Anderson’s superior ability to win free points with big serving is likely to make the difference in the pressure-packed moments.
Pick: Anderson in 3
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WWW?
Coric and Anderson in three
Zverev and Anderson in three
(Would have said Coric , but Zverev is playing better , and Coric has played a lot of tennis)
meant Zverev playing better and better (betterer?)
Zverev
Busta winning a set.
Anderson and Coric. Day off should help Coric rest up a bit
Zverez and Carreno Busta, both in 3 sets.
I think Zverez has turned the corner after a slightly disappointing start to the year by grinding through some tough matches. I had Ferrer being a tough match that he couldve lost and for him to grind out that win and then take care of Kyrgios is something to take note of.
I think PCB has improved since the US Open and will get his first win against Anderson. Hasnt dropped a set and destroyed everyone whereas I thinbk Anderson still possesses his usual toughness/resilience but is a notch below where he was late 2017.
P.S. Berdych has lost the plot, talked himself up in the early stages of the Aus Open about how healthy and wonderful he was and now its all turned to tatters. At his age, he still hasnt learned to keep his mouth shout and be humble.
Pablo “Honey” Busta and Sascha “Plays-with-Britt” FTW.
“(16) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. (6) Kevin Anderson” Wait. What? Masters SF? You cannot be serious!
Also, when was the last masters without any Big Four in the 3rd round?
Should Delpo win Miami, he be just a clay SF appearance away from No. 1 in the Race to London. Barring injury, Delpo has a lock on No. 1 in the Race and YE No. 1 on his racquet.
#SignsOfWeakEra2.0AllOverAgain
#VA-mos-DEL-po
Rafa OTOH needs 2740 of a possible 5,500 clay points to catch the current race leader (and then some to keep pace with Delpo).
Sadly, I don’t have the same expectations for Rafa on clay this year. He hasn’t completed a tournament without injury in over five months!
Must have a look and see what odds are available on Delpo to win the French outright.
(Aside: ATP web site neglected to update the Rankings this week for the first time EVER – still shows Roger as No. 1 in the world LOL. Coincidence? Too funny!)
Wow.
Paris 2004 was the last time non of the Big 4 made the 3rd round of a Masters – over 13 years ago.
Le sigh. The writing was on the wall when the last of the Big Four standing was over 35. Now Roger and Andy out until grass, Rafa’s questionable, Djokovic very doubtful… And Rafa may prioritize DC over defending his clay points.
Hawks they haven’t updated it yet because the tournament hasn’t finished. They don’t update points from the tournament midway through it.
As for the ATP Rankings, the 2017 Miami points will drop off on April 2, 2018.
He’s just rubbing it in 🐐
Sasha has some of his former mojo back plus he’s regained his uncanny instinct for saving match points
Zeverev in 3 gruelling sets.
If PCB plays his waiting game he might finally get his first win against Anderson.
Carreno Busta in 3
Wow, I’ve got some great winning picks this tournament. I pick Zverev over kyrgios. I had Milos winning at least a set last night. I pick Sloane Stephens this afternoon. And now PCB. I’m on a roll from last night.
Is it just me or does Kevin Anderson look coked out of his mind? 1st game he was all strung out it seemed. Don’t do drugs kids.
For a moment PCB came within a whisker of winning the match in two sets. But it wasn’t to be. The enormity of the occasion got to him and he fluffed his chances. We’re into a third set.
That’s actually not true at all. He should of been 30-0 as he served out for the game, but the linesman called his serve out and he had to replay the point. If you don’t know how big of a momentum one point can be, you definitely are not an athlete, and just a common fan.
NOW THAT, is how you beat a crackhead and a lazy line judge. And take your own destiny in to your hands.
Lol
Congratulations to me .
@Turtle
Thanks for that compliment NOT
sorry, i get really competitive when tennis is on. you simply cannot mess up line calls, it is very unfair to the player, as there is no margin for error. and the universe throws enough at us.
You’re forgiven 😉
That was easy.
Zverbusta win!
Congrats to Me 2-0.
(Commies to Rick “ety-picks” Dimon 0-2.)
#Reusable
#RememberHerbert
#Humb1e
2 out of 2 correct match predictions for Aunty Ed this evening – even if I didn’t get the scoreline correct