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Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Nick Kyrgios vs (31) Fabio Fognini
Date: 27 March 2022
Tournament: Miami Open
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Miami, Florida, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $8,584,055
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
Nick Kyrgios vs Fabio Fognini preview
Wildcard Nick Kyrgios will take on Italy's Fabio Fognini in the third round of the 2022 Miami Open on Sunday.
Kyrgios comes into the encounter in great form. The Australian was halted at the Australian Open in the second round by Daniil Medvedev, but has since picked up some big wins.
He reached the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters, beating Casper Ruud on the way for his first top-10 win of the season. The Australian was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
Kyrgios carried his momentum into Miami, where he opened with a straight-sets win against Adrian Mannarino. The Australian made a statement by trumping Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-0 in the second round and getting his second top-10 win in two weeks.
Fognini, meanwhile, has steadily fallen in the ATP rankings over the past few months, and his 2022 form is indicative of that. The Italian lost early in Sydney and the Australian Open before moving to the South American clay.
The 34-year-old reached the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires and semifinals in Rio, losing to Federico Delbonis and Carlos Alcaraz respectively. Fognini then withdrew from Indian Wells ahead of his third-round match due to injury.
The Italian set up the encounter against Kyrgios in Miami with a tight three-set victory over Taro Daniel in the second round.
Nick Kyrgios vs Fabio Fognini head-to-head
The third-round encounter in Miami will be the second match between the two players, with Nick Kyrgios leading the head-to-head 1-0 over Fabio Fognini.
The pair's only previous meeting came in Miami back in 2018, when the Australian defeated Fognini in the third round.
Nick Kyrgios vs Fabio Fognini prediction
Despite being the lower-ranked player, Kyrgios comes into the match as the favorite given the momentum he has notched up recently. The Australian did well to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, and his statement win over Rublev in Miami shows the kind of form he is in at the moment.
While mental and physical problems may be playing a part in the latter stages of Fognini's career, he still has the ability to create spectacular moments. His attack-minded playing style, built around a strong backhand, makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.
However, Kyrgios' aggressive baseline game, complemented by his massive serve, works well on hardcourt. He seldom gets his serve broken, and usually has the edge in tie-breaks. Unless the Australian suffers major lapses, he should be able to thwart any challenge posed by Fognini.
Prediction: Kyrgios to win in two tightly contested sets.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Results
