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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (16) Tommy Paul
Date: March 28, 2023
Tournament: Miami Open 2023
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul preview
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will take on World No. 19 Tommy Paul in the fourth round of the 2023 Miami Open on Tuesday.
Following a first-round bye, Alcaraz kicked off his title defense with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Facundo Bagnis. He was up against Dusan Lajovic in the third round.
The opening set was quite lopsided as the teenager handed out a bagel to his opponent to clinch it. Alcaraz carried the momentum into the second set as an early break of serve put him ahead 3-1. However, he stumbled while trying to close out the contest at 5-4 as Lajovic broke back to claw his way back into the match.
Alcaraz jumped to a 5-2 lead in the ensuing tie-break, but wasted three match points. He finally wrapped up the proceedings on his fourth opportunity to complete a 6-0, 7-6 (5) win.
Meanwhile, a tough three-set victory over Marc-Andrea Huesler put Paul into the third round, where he faced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The two were quite steady on serve at the start of the match, but traded three straight breaks midway through the first set.
Paul gained the upper hand to lead 5-3 and served out the set comfortably in the following game. The American led 3-1 in the second set, but Davidovich Fokina dug deep to get back on serve.
Paul upped his level towards the end of the set as he bagged three games in a row to win the match 6-3, 7-5. He has now made it to the fourth round here for the first time in his career.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul head-to-head
Paul leads Alcaraz 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Canadian Open in three sets.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul prediction
Carlos Alcaraz was in total control of his match against Dusan Lajovic, except for a brief hiccup at the end, from which he recovered quickly. The World No. 1 ended the match with 27 winners in contrast to 15 unforced errors.
Tommy Paul was also made to work a fair bit by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the previous round, but passed the test with flying colors.
The American notably managed to score a stunning upset win over Alcaraz the last time they faced off.
Their Canadian Open encounter was a thrilling affair, with Paul coming out on top in the third set. However, Alcaraz is in much better form right now. He has made it to the title round of every tournament he has played this season.
The teenager didn't drop a set en route to winning the Indian Wells Masters, and has won his matches in Miami in straight sets too. Aside from his serve, Alcaraz's game is quite well-rounded. His well disguised drop shots are likely to keep Paul on his toes.
Paul has the potential to spring a surprise once again, but given how Alcaraz is playing at the moment, he's likely to continue his title defense here.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.
