Jack Draper bids to repeat his Indian Wells victory at the Miami Open when it gets underway this week, but fatigue could stop the rising British star from doing the ‘Sunshine Double’.
Draper’s biggest tournament win of his career has propelled him into the world’s top 10 for the first time and he could face the man he beat on Sunday – Holger Rune – in the fourth round in Miami.
The draw means that the winner of that match – if both men make it that far – would potentially face top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, while 2022 Miami Open champion Carlos Alcaraz lurks in the bottom half.
The Spanish star appears to have an easier path to glory than Draper, who ran out of gas in the third round of the Paris Masters last autumn after winning in Vienna the week before.
The biggest name beyond Alcaraz in the bottom half is Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian great enters this event on the back of a three-match losing streak – his longest since 2018.
ATP Miami Tips
- Daniil Medvedev to win @ 12/1 with bet365
- Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to win @ 80/1 with bet365
- Grigor Dimitrov to win @ 40/1 with bet365
Medvedev on a collision course with Greek rival
One of the exciting prospects to come out of the draw is the possibility of seeing Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas renew their rivalry in round four.
They have had a frosty on and off-court relationship since their first meeting in 2018 at this event, which concluded with a verbal altercation after the players shook hands at the net.
The Russian has won 10 of their 14 previous encounters, including each of their last two on hard courts.
Medvedev enjoys playing on faster surfaces and the courts at Miami Gardens are certainly much quicker than Indian Wells, where the higher bounce can sometimes favour specialists on clay.
The 2021 US Open champion reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells last week before running into an in-form Rune.
But that deep run did not appear to take a lot out of Medvedev, who received a bye in the first round and enjoyed a walkover victory in round three.
The 29-year-old should still have plenty in reserve for an event where he boasts an 18-5 win-loss record with back-to-back semi-final appearances.
ATP Miami Tip 1: Daniil Medvedev to win @ 12/1 with bet365
Zverev must beware a big-serving Frenchman
The man who many think has the best serve on the ATP Tour will be one to watch in Miami.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard produced more aces than any other player last year and those that have seen him practice in Miami say he will be hard for any opponent to handle.
The Frenchman is the No.28 seed and is due to face Zverev in round three if both men make it through their opening matches. That matchup could be dynamite as Zverev is no slouch on his serve either, but Mpetshi Perricard served twice as many aces as the German per match in 2024.
It’s a major hurdle, but the draw would really open up for the 21-year-old were he to go through, with Frances Tiafoe, who he has a 2-0 record against, likely to be the next seed in his crosshairs.
ATP Miami Tip 2: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to win @ 80/1 with bet365
No escape from Dimitrov for Alcaraz
Grigor Dimitrov reached the final at Miami Gardens 12 months ago after arguably the best sequence of wins in his career.
The popular Bulgarian defeated eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz and No.4 seed Zverev either side of straight-sets destruction of the then world number one Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner came out on top pretty easily in the final, but Dimitrov had probably expended too much emotional and physical energy in getting there.
He will have been targeting this event for some time and enters with limited miles on the clock after a third-round exit at Indian Wells to Alcaraz.
They could meet again in Miami if both make it to the fourth round and the 33-year-old Dimitrov cannot be ruled out from upsetting Alcaraz again, so long as he stays fit and focused this week.
ATP Miami Tip 3: Grigor Dimitrov to win 40/1 with bet365
