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Players will continue to fight for a spot in the second round of Day 3 of the 2024 Miami Open.
Three-time Major champion Andy Murray rallied from a set down to defeat Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. Martin Damm Jr. ousted Zhang Zhizhen to notch up his maiden win on the ATP Tour.
Denis Shapovalov earned a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4 win over Luciano Darderi to advance. Jack Draper, Matteo Arnaldi, Luca Van Assche and Marton Fucsovics were among the other victors of the day.
More players will be aiming to make it through the first round on Thursday. Here are the predictions for some of the key matches scheduled for Day 3 of the Miami Open:
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#1 - Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adam Walton
Auger-Aliassime was ranked in the top 10 and arrived at last year's Miami Open as the fifth seed. He has now fallen outside the top 30 and has a 7-7 win-loss record this year.
Walton defeated Thiago Monteiro and Pedro Martinez in three sets to qualify for the main draw. This will be his first main draw appearance at the Masters 1000 level.
Anything other than a routine win for Auger-Aliassime would be a huge surprise, even though he's far from his best these days. Walton doesn't have a lot of experience on the main tour and hasn't won on the ATP level. If he upstages the Canadian, it would be quite the feat.
Predicted winner: Felix Auger-Aliassime
#2 - Kei Nishikori vs Sebastian Ofner
Nishikori returned to the tour after a two-year absence last year but sustained yet another injury. He's now ready for another go after a seven-month injury layoff. A former runner-up at the Miami Open, this will be his first appearance here since 2021.
Ofner made a strong start to the season with a semifinal finish at the Hong Kong Open. However, he has won just three more matches after that. He has also lost his last two matches on the ATP tour.
Nishikori couldn't have asked for a better draw given Ofner's struggles with form. While this will be the Japanese's first match in a while, he played at a pretty decent level when he made his comeback last year. If he competes at that level once again, he could be off to a winning start.
Predicted winner: Kei Nishikori
#3 - Roberto Bautista Agut vs Emilio Nava
Both Bautista Agut and Nava had to fight for their place at the Miami Open by going through the qualifying rounds. The Spaniard is trying to rebuild his ranking after a tough few months.
Nava has mainly competed on the Challenger circuit thus far. The American has won just three main draw matches on the main tour, but one of his three wins came at last year's Miami Open, his only victory at the Masters 1000 level.
Despite Bautista Agut's low ranking at the moment, he will still be favored to make it through this clash. He's far more accomplished than Nava, and his experience over the years gives him another advantage in this match-up.
It could be a close match for the Spaniard, but he should progress further eventually.
Predicted winner: Roberto Bautista Agut
#4 - Gael Monfils vs Dusan Lajovic
Monfils knocked out eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz and 28th Cameron Norrie at the recently concluded Indian Wells Masters. He eventually lost to ninth seed Casper Ruud in three sets in the fourth round. The Frenchman also reached the semifinals in Dubai before that.
Lajovic has a 7-7 record for the season, but four of those wins have been on clay. He has won just three matches on hardcourts. He made it to the second round at Indian Wells, where he lost to Frances Tiafoe in straight sets.
Monfils has won both of his previous matches against Lajovic in straight sets. Their most recent encounter was at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters. He nabbed a closely fought first set in the tie-break, after which he cruised through the second set for a 7-6 (0), 6-2 win.
The Frenchman will be backed to maintain his perfect record in this rivalry, given his opponent's shaky current form.
Predicted winner: Gael Monfils
