Miami Open 2019 Final: Roger Federer vs John Isner, Preview and Prediction

Defending champion John Isner takes on three-time champion Roger Federer in the summit clash of the 2019 Miami Open.

This will be the eighth match between the two, but the first since 2015. The rivalry is dominated by the Swiss star who has won five out of those seven matches. On outdoor hardcourts, Isner is yet to win a match against Federer and it remains to be seen whether big John can have his first win over Federer on outdoor hard court in his fifth attempt.

The American has tasted success against the Swiss maestro on indoor hard court, though, winning their 2015 Paris Masters round of sixteen match in three sets. That match had two tie-breaks and Isner had won both of those to seal the match.

He has followed a similar pattern at this year’s Miami Open as well. He has already been involved in nine tie-breaks of the ten sets that he has played in five matches and incredibly has won each of those nine tie-breaks, a record for a tournament involving matches of best of three sets.

He won his semi-final match against the rising Canadian star Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets that involved two tie-breaks. However, it must be noted that he did not look completely invincible on his serve. In fact, he was broken once each in both the sets and the Canadian faltered while serving for the sets, allowing the sets to go into tie-breaks.

Isner’s second serve was especially vulnerable and Auger Aliassime put a lot of pressure on his second serve. Isner could win only 53 percent of his second serve points.

Miami Open 2019 - Day 12

He will have to serve better against a confident Roger Federer, who has looked in prime form in this tournament. Because, the way Roger has been serving in this tournament, it is extremely difficult to break him.

In his semi-final match against Denis Shapovalov, he broke the next-gen star three times, without being broken even once. He played some delectable shots and committed very few unforced errors.

Though he could land only half his first serves in, his first serve win percentage was at an incredible ninety-one percent and on the second serve too, he won seventy-seven percent of the points.

On current form, Federer certainly seems to have the edge. However, if Isner can serve well enough to take the sets into tie-breaks, then it could be anybody’s game.

Prediction: Roger Federer to win in 3 Sets