ATP Miami Open 2021: Men’s Singles Preview, Analysis and Prediction

Miami Open 2021, the first Masters level tournament to be held this year will commence from March 24. This tournament will bring an end to the hard court season as the focus will shift towards the clay court season in April. Daniil Medvedev returns to action after his title in Marseille and is the top seed. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem all pulled out of the tournament.

Miami Open was cancelled last year owing to the covid-19 pandemic. Roger Federer won the title in 2019, defeating John Isner in the final. This year, the draw is packed with NextGen stars who will be looking forward to announce themselves on the big stage.

Tournament Details:

• Tournament: ATP Miami Open 2021
• Date: March 24 to April 4, 2021
• Number of Entrants: 96 (Singles), Doubles (32)
• Venue: Miami, USA
• Surface: Hard Court
• Prize Money: $3,343,785
• Defending champion: Roger Federer (2019)

Top Seeds at the Miami Open 2021

• Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
• Alexander Zverev (Germany)
• Andrey Rublev (Russia)
• Diego Schwartzman (Argentina)

Men’s Singles Draw: Analysis and Prediction

First Quarter

Daniil Medvedev, Roberto Bautista Agut and John Isner are some of the big names in the first quarter. Medvedev has received a bye in the first round and is expected to face Sam Querrey in the second round, which can be a tricky match for the top seed. The Russian’s potential third round opponent is another tall American, Reilly Opelka. In the last 16, he can Dusan Lajovic who can be a tough opponent on hard courts. However, Medvedev is expected to win have comfortable victories in the opening rounds and book a quarterfinal berth.

John Isner won the Miami Open in 2018, defeating Alexander Zverev in the finals. He also finished as the runner-up in 2019, losing to Roger Federer in the final. This year, Isner has received a bye in the first round and is expected to face Vasek Pospisil in round two. Isner will have to battle it out against the likes of Felix Auger Aliassime and Roberto Bautista Agut to book a quarterfinal berth.

First Quarterfinal Prediction: Daniil Medvedev vs John Isner

Second Quarter

Alexander Zverev is one of the top names in the second quarter. He has received a bye in Round one and will face Carlos Alcaraz in the second round. His first big obstacle will come in the third round, when he can face the Dubai Open champion, Nikoloz Basilashvili. In the last 16 round clash, the German will have to either face Jannik Sinner or Karen Khachanov to book a quarterfinals berth.

Grigor Dimitrov has a relatively straight forward draw and should progress to the fourth round without much difficulty. In the fourth round, he will most likely be up against David Goffin who won the Montpellier Open last month.

Second Quarterfinal Prediction: Alexander Zverev vs Grigor Dimitrov

Third Quarter

The third quarter has the likes of Diego Schwartzman, Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev. Schwartzman has a relatively easy draw, and his first real challenge will come in the fourth round in the form of Aslan Karatsev. The Russian lifted his maiden ATP Title in Dubai last week and is riding on high confidence. He is expected to defeat Schwartzman and book a quarterfinal berth.

Andrey Rublev has received a bye in the first round and has been awarded with an easy draw. He can be challenged by Marton Fucsovics in the third round, however, the Russian has already defeated the Hungarian on two occasions this year. He should book a quarterfinal berth for himself without much trouble.

Third Quarterfinal Prediction: Aslan Karatsev vs Andrey Rublev

Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter has the likes of Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Shapovalov has a tricky draw in front of him as he has to defeat players like Ugo Humbert and Milos Raonic to progress into the quarterfinals. Humbert has been impressive in the past year and is expected to continue his fine form. The Frenchman is expected to defeat Shapovalov in the third round in a three set thriller and Milos Raonic in the last 16 clash.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to defeat Kei Nishikori if he is to progress into the fourth round, where he will face the Australian, Alex de Minaur. The Greek has had an impressive hard court season but has not won a title yet. He is expected to progress into the quarterfinals despite a tricky draw.

Fourth Quarterfinal Prediction: Ugo Humbert vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Quarterfinals

The first quarterfinal will see Daniil Medvedev and John Isner clash against each other. Medvedev is in red hot form and should be able to defeat the American in straight sets. Alexander Zverev, who won the Mexican Open last week will defeat Grigor Dimitrov in the second quarterfinal. However, the German will have to dig deep to grind out a victory against the Bulgarian.

First Semifinal Prediction: Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev

The third quarterfinal will be an all-Russian affair with Andrey Rublev facing Aslan Karatsev. Rublev will avenge his loss at the Dubai Open and will defeat Karatsev in a three set battle. Stefanos Tsitsipas will end Humbert’s run in Miami and book a semifinal berth.

Second Semifinal Prediction: Andrey Rublev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Semifinal

Daniil Medvedev has beaten Alexander Zverev in their three past meetings. The first semifinal between the two players will be a three set thriller with Zverev finally getting one over the Russian. The German will progress into his second consecutive final. Andrey Rublev defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals of the Rotterdam Open last month. The Greek is expected to end his hard court season on a high and defeat Andrey Rublev in the semifinal.

Final Prediction: Daniil Medvedev vs Stefanos Tsitsipas

Final

The final between Medvedev and Tsitsipas will be a rematch of the Australian Open semifinal where the Russian won in straight sets. However, this time, Tsitsipas will emerge victorious in a three set battle and claim his first title of the season. The Greek has reached two semifinals, and ended as the runner-up at the Mexico Open so far this year. He will be desperately looking to claim a title in Miami.

To lift the Title: Stefanos Tsitsipas

Also Read: WTA Miami Open 2021: Women’s draw Preview, Analysis and Prediction

Stay Updated!

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW