Miami R4 previews and predictions: Zverev vs. Kyrgios, Del Potro vs. Krajinovic

For a second consecutive year in Miami, Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios will be squaring off in the second week. They are headlining fourth-round action on Tuesday, while Juan Martin Del Potro hopes to remain on fire at the expense of Filip Krajinovic.

(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (17) Nick Kyrgios

Zverev and Kyrgios will be facing each other for the sixth time in their careers and for the sixth time in the span of 13 months when they meet again in round four of the Miami Open on Tuesday. The most entertaining installment to date of this budding rivalry–a friendly one, it should be noted–came at this same Miami tournament last season, when Kyrgios prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3. He leads the overall head-to-head series 3-2, but Zverev has taken two of their past three encounters–including a 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-2 beatdown during first-round Davis Cup action in Australia.

Kyrgios was plagued by an elbow problem in that aforementioned affair, and it kept him out of the entire February swing in addition to Indian Wells. When healthy, however, the 20th-ranked Australian has been a force. He is 10-2 this season with a title in Brisbane, a fourth-round showing at the Aussie Open (lost to Grigor Dimitrov in a fourth-set tiebreaker), and routine wins in Miami over Dusan Lajovic and Fabio Fognini. In mediocre form at best dating back to the latter stages of 2017, Zverev is 10-4 in 2018 following three-set victories this fortnight at the expense of Daniil Medvedev and David Ferrer. Whereas the fifth-ranked German has struggled of late, Kyrgios appears to have taken the necessary time off to get himself back to 100 percent. The 17th seed is playing more aggressively–and quite simply better–than Zverev at this point.

Pick: Kyrgios in 3

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(5) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (22) Filip Krajinovic

Del Potro was on a collision course with Novak Djokovic for fourth-round showdowns in both Indian Wells and Miami. Neither match came close to happening, as the latter lost his opener at each event. The result for Del Potro–who ended up lifting the Indian Wells trophy for his first career Masters 1000 title–is a Tuesday date with a different Serb.

Unsurprisingly given Krajinovic’s relative inexperience on the main tour, this marks their first career head-to-head contest. Although the 26-year-old has been around for a while, he did not reach relative prominence until making an incredible run to the Paris Masters final last fall. Krajinovic has been slowed by injuries in 2018, but he has advanced in Miami with easy wins over Liam Broady and Benoit Paire. The hottest player in the world right now, Del Potro’s winning streak has reached 13 matches. He preceded his Indian Wells triumph with a title in Acapulco and he has followed it up with Miami defeats of Robin Haase and Kei Nishikori. Fatigue may set in for the sixth-ranked Argentine later in the tournament, but it is hard to see Krajinovic putting up any serious resistance.

Pick: Del Potro in 2

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