The seeded stars in the bottom half of the Miami Open presented by Itau draw begin their campaigns on Saturday, when Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime will be in action.

The second seed Tsitsipas takes on Frenchman Richard Gasquet, while fourth seed Medvedev will look to build on his run to the final in Indian Wells against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. Fifth seed Auger-Aliassime takes on Thiago Monteiro.

Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Ben Shelton will also take to court in Miami. ATPTour.com runs through some of the key second-round matchups on show.

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[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Richard Gasquet (FRA)

After soaring to the Australian Open final in January, Tsitsipas has slowed in recent weeks. The Greek fell in the second round in Rotterdam and then was unable to compete in Acapulco due to a shoulder injury. He continued to feel the effects of the issue in Indian Wells, where he suffered an opening-round exit.

The second seed will be hoping his troubles are behind him as he aims to bounce back in Miami, starting against Gasquet.

“My health is the most important thing that I could have in tennis,” said Tsitsipas, who reached the quarter-finals in Miami in 2021. “”When I’m feeling healthy, everything falls into place nicely. I’m enjoying myself on the court, I’m getting creative, I can mix up my game and I feel like nothing can go wrong. This is what my aim is for this tournament, to just play pain-free and see how my arm responds on these next few days.”

Chasing his first title of the season and third ATP Masters 1000 crown, Tsitsipas will hope to make a fast start against Gasquet, with the pair locked at 1-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The 36-year-old Frenchman defeated Christopher O’Connell in the first round to earn his 596th tour-level win. Closing in on 600, Gasquet will aim to upset Tsitsipas and edge closer to that standout milestone.

Bringing the heat 🔥 off both wings ‼️@richardgasquet1 hitting high-level #ShotQuality scores on both forehand and backhand in his 3-set win over O’Connell

8.8 Fh #ShotQuality (7.2 Tour Avg.)
8.5 Bh #ShotQuality (7.0 Tour Avg.)

Sets up a battle of the single-handers against… pic.twitter.com/QcqL7BFZxl

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) March 24, 2023

[4] Daniil Medvedev vs. Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP)

Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak came to an end last week in Indian Wells, where Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in the championship match. The 27-year-old, who won titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai last month, is nonetheless delighted with where his game is at as he looks to start a fresh run against Carballes Baena.

“I managed to get back in the zone, which I didn’t really have for all of 2022, when I was less consistent,” Medvedev said when asked about his recent form. “I would have some good matches or tournaments but out of nowhere I would have one bad match. I’ve managed to avoid that the past four weeks. I have no idea how I have done it, but I am really happy and want to continue.”

During the title match in Indian Wells, Alcaraz used the drop shot to exploit Medvedev’s deep-court position. Carballes Baena trails Medvedev 0-1 in their ATP Head2Head series and may look to follow Alcaraz’s playbook and apply the same tactic in Miami to upset the fourth seed’s rhythm. Medvedev, who has reached consecutive quarter-finals in Miami, will hope his consistency and depth will prove too much for Carballes Baena, who is 4-7 on the season.

[5] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs. Thiago Monteiro (BRA)

Auger-Aliassime arrives in Miami at a career-high No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after advancing to the quarter-finals in Indian Wells last week. The Canadian, who lost to Alcaraz in California, will be eager for more, however, as he aims to hit the heights of 2022.

The fifth seed won four tour-level titles last year, but has yet to reach a final at any of the six events he has played this season. The 22-year-old will be hoping to change that record in Miami, where he holds fond memories.

Auger-Alassime soared to the semi-finals on debut in 2019, advancing from qualifying to announce himself on Tour. Starting his tournament at the second-round stage this week, he will look to hit through Monteiro with his destructive forehand and improve to 3-0 in their ATP Head2Head series. The Brazilian Monteiro defeated Jason Kubler in the first round and is currently No. 80 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Also In Action…

Eighth seed Hurkacz captured the biggest title of his career two years ago when he defeated Jannik Sinner to triumph in Miami. The Pole, who also reached the semi-finals at the hard-court event last year, starts his title quest against Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

#NextGenATP American Ben Shelton is the 32nd seed in Miami. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season and will aim to build on his strong start against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

The 11th seed Cameron Norrie meets Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, while 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Jiri Lehecka plays 18th-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

Returning as defending champion at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time, Carlos Alcaraz picked up where he left off at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Friday.

The Spaniard raced to a 6-0, 6-2 win against Facundo Bagnis in just 65 minutes in Florida. Alcaraz, who needs to lift the trophy in Miami to prevent Novak Djokovic from replacing him as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, cruised to victory against an opponent who was chasing his maiden Top 10 victory and who never really settled into the second-round clash on Hard Rock Stadium.

“I knew that I needed to be focused for my first match,” said Alcaraz after his win. “To start a new tournament is never easy, [and in] different conditions. I have to be ready to get used to these new conditions, but I was really focused on the match from the beginning, and I’m happy with the way that I played. I try to improve every day.”

Delicious 😋™️

Defending champion @carlosalcaraz getting low@MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/NpRZf7vmIY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 24, 2023

Now a three-time Masters 1000 winner after he lifted the BNP Paribas Open trophy in Indian Wells last Sunday, the 19-year-old Alcaraz will become the youngest man to win the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ with another title run in Miami. Standing in his way next in Florida will be 30th seed Maxime Cressy or Dusan Lajovic.

Five days ago, Alcaraz delivered an imperious performance to snap Daniil Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak and lift his second title of the season in Indian Wells. The Spaniard did not need to reproduce his level from that match during his Miami opener, however. He lost just seven points in the first set as a wayward Bagnis made a nightmare start to his first Masters 1000 match for a year.

Alcaraz then quickly opened a 2-0 lead in the second set as his opponent continued to struggle against the teenager’s all-around abilities. Although Bagnis dug deep to convert his second break point of the match and level at 2-2, that was as good as it got for the Argentine. Alcaraz powered through the final four games to claim a comfortable win and extend his ATP Head2Head series lead against Bagnis to 2-0.

Alcaraz struck 12 winners and won 81 per cent (17/21) of points behind his first serve for his 15th tour-level win of the year. The Spaniard will expect a greater test in his next match against Cressy or Lajovic, but his outing against Bagnis could prove useful in helping him adapt to the different conditions in Miami compared to Indian Wells.

“The court is faster, there is more humidity,” acknowledged Alcaraz. “Let’s say it’s a little bit tougher too, to get used to the conditions in a short period of days. For me, it’s a totally different tournament.”

Have you ever seen ATP Tour star Rajeev Ram and Tony Finau, one of the best golfers in the world, in the same room?

A laughing Ram confessed he is often confused for the PGA Tour standout.

“A lot more than I can count. I play a fair bit of golf and whenever I go to a golf course, there’s a good chance that somebody will say something like, ‘Has anybody ever told you you look like Tony Finau?’” Ram said. “I have my standard response of, ‘Yeah, I do, until they actually watch me play.’”

The professional athletes have never met. Ram has attended golf events where Finau was competing, like the Ryder Cup in Wisconsin two years ago. But in those situations, the tennis player has never been confused for the golfer.

Fans of Netflix’s Full Swing might have made the connection when watching the episode that features Finau. Ram has not watched the show, but he sees Finau on television often.

“Golf is definitely on in our house more than tennis, so I watch him all the time. I love watching golf. It’s probably my favourite sport to watch to be honest, so I definitely root for Tony whenever he’s playing,” Ram said. “It’s kind of weird to be honest because sometimes you have that feeling when someone says, ‘Oh that looks like you’, and you don’t really see it. But I genuinely see it and I feel like when I watch him on TV I’m like, ‘Man that looks like it really could be me out there.’

“I think it’s cool just because he plays a sport that I love. I love watching it. I don’t know him, but he seems like a top-notch guy.”

When Ram is home, he tries to play golf daily. The American has become known in tennis for his serve, which looks identical to Pete Sampras’. But he does not think he can mimic Finau’s golf swing.

“I probably would say [my handicap is] a 12. I wish I was better. I should be better at certain things that I feel like I have a skill for in tennis, [but] I’m not very good at in golf like some touch and some feel,” Ram said. “I think my imitation skills stop in tennis. I can’t emulate anything in golf out of anyone. If I could I would pick him for sure, but I can’t do anything. I feel like I’m lucky to make contact a lot of the time in golf.”

Ram’s longtime friend and former professional tennis player Prakash Amritraj, a current commentator for Tennis Channel, has long believed the tennis player looks like Finau.

“I had to be the first guy that told him. I mean Tony Finau is his doppelganger. I texted him the minute I saw Tony Finau and I said, ‘What are you doing, you’re supposed to be at Indian Wells, but it looks like you’re playing at The Players right now,’” Amritraj said. “I mean, he wouldn’t buy it. But as soon as you point it out, I have no idea how anybody else doesn’t see only that. It’s wild.”

As funny as the Finau-Ram connection is to the tennis player, he is fully focused on the court, where he partnered Joe Salisbury past Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini on Thursday to reach the second round of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“It’s been a little bit of a tough stretch for me. I took all of February off after Davis Cup, didn’t do anything at all except try to rehab my achilles,” Ram said. “The last couple weeks have been tough, but feel like we’re starting to sort of round back into form and play alright. Any time you get a win against those guys is pretty nice just because they’ve been around a while.”

Is Jannik Sinner set for another deep run at the Miami Open presented by Itau?

After surging to the final on his event debut in 2021 and reaching the quarter-finals last year, the 21-year-old Italian kick-started his 2023 campaign on Friday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Laslo Djere.

Although Sinner struggled to find his best level at times during his 84-minute triumph at the ATP Masters 1000 event, the 10th seed’s sharp returning proved enough to move past the World No. 58 Djere. Sinner converted five of 10 break points to improve his season record against opponents outside the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to 13-0.

It was Djere who forged the first break of the match in the seventh game on Court Butch Buchholz, but Sinner responded in style with some trademark clean hitting off both wings. The Italian reeled off six games in a row from 3-4 to take charge of the second-round clash, and another three-game streak from 3-2 in the second set sealed his win.

Sinner and Djere are now split at 2-2 in their ATP Head2Head series. The Italian has won both meetings on hard courts, while Serbia’s Djere has prevailed twice on clay.

The seven-time tour-level titlist Sinner, who fell to Hubert Hurkacz in the 2021 Miami final and reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells last week, is chasing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami. He now holds a 9-2 record at Hard Rock Stadium, where his third-round opponent will be 21st seed Grigor Dimitrov or qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.

The No. 1-ranked American Taylor Fritz also put together a big mid-match streak en route to a 6-4, 6-1 win against his countryman Emilio Nava. The ninth seed reeled off seven games in a row from 4-4 in the first set to take control of his meeting with 21-year-old Nava, who had beaten former Miami champion John Isner for just his second tour-level win in the first round.

The one-sided scoreline masked some early difficulties for Fritz, who was broken in the opening game as Nava’s ultra-aggressive tactics initially paid dividends on Hard Rock Stadium. Fritz, who reached the fourth round in Miami in 2021 and 2022, reclaimed the break in the next game and then effectively adjusted his tactics to accelerate to a 60-minute triumph.

“He was basically going either clean winner or miss,” said Fritz when asked about Nava’s fast start. “It didn’t rally matter what shot I hit, so I felt like I just had to put as many balls in the court as possible and just hope that later on in the set, applying pressure at 5-4 up or if it were to go to 6-5, that he wouldn’t be able to just keep hitting winners.”

Cruise control 🛳@Taylor_Fritz97 dictating with pinpoint precision @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/F8MtOYXwi9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 24, 2023

Fritz is chasing his second ATP Masters 1000 title. The 2022 BNP Paribas Open champion fell at the quarter-final stage in his Indian Wells title defence last week, but says he is feeling the same sort of pressure to perform in Miami despite never having lifted the trophy there.

“The way I am looking at it, it is just the race,” said Fritz, who broke the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time in 2022 and made his debut at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals last November. “Last week, this week, it’s the same importance as far as what it’s going to do for the rankings. I definitely feel good about how I played [today], so that helps a lot.”

The 25-year-old Fritz faces another North American, Denis Shapovalov, in the third round in Florida. Canada’s Shapovalov, who defeated Guido Pella 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 earlier on Friday, leads Fritz 5-3 in the pair’s ATP Head2Head series.

Andrey Rublev kept his cool in the face of a stern opening test from J.J. Wolf on Friday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where the sixth seed earned a 7-6(3), 6-4 second-round victory.

Rublev was broken by home favourite Wolf in the opening game of the match and trailed for much of the first set on Grandstand, but his aggressive game ultimately proved too much for the No. 50-ranked American in fast conditions at Hard Rock Stadium. The 25-year-old Rublev fired 36 winners, including 16 aces, to notch a one-hour, 41-minute win and reach the third round at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami for the third time.

“It’s a great feeling, because I didn’t know what to expect and it was my first match here,” said Rublev after his win. “I didn’t have much time to adapt. I know he’s dangerous, that he can play really well and really aggressive.

“As soon as we started to play I was losing, so it was not easy. At the end I was happy that I was able to keep calm inside, and I was just waiting for my moment [in the first set]. As soon as I had the moment I was able to make it, and then I started to play a bit better and I started to feel more confident.”

Although Rublev made the worst possible start to his Miami campaign by dropping his serve in the opening game, he put those early difficulties behind him quickly. The World No. 7 stayed dialled in from the baseline and that persistence helped him crucially reclaim the break to level at 5-5.

Rublev carried that momentum through to dominate a first-set tie-break in which he regularly pulled his opponent around the court with some fiery forehand hitting, and he kept his composure impressively again in the second set to complete the win. The 2021 Miami semi-finalist saved all five break points he faced in the second set and claimed a decisive break in the seventh game to improve his record for 2023 to 12-7.

“I played him once [before] and he played completely different in that match,” said Rublev, when asked about the effectiveness of his down-the-line backhand against Wolf. “I guess he changed tactic, and the tactic was to try and play as much as he can with the forehand and to play everything to my backhand.

“In the end he was open a lot down the line, so as soon as I had a chance I was trying to go for it, because he was obviously too much on the backhand side.”

Rublev’s third-round opponent will be 29th seed Miomir Kecmanovic or Ugo Humbert. Rublev is a 12-time tour-level titlist, a tally which includes five ATP 500 crowns, but is chasing his first Masters 1000 title in Florida.

In other early-Friday action, Emil Ruusuvuori notched a straight-sets victory against Roberto Bautista Agut for the second consecutive tournament by prevailing 6-4, 7-6(5) against the Spaniard on Court 5.

The Finn backed up his win against Bautista Agut in Indian Wells two weeks ago by outhitting the 22nd seed by 28 winners to 20 in a two-hour, 12-minute encounter in Miami. Ruusuvuori will face Alexander Zverev or Taro Daniel next as he looks to reach the fourth round at Hard Rock Stadium for the second time.

The 24th-seeded Denis Shapovalov also enjoyed a second-round victory, but the Canadian was made to battle before downing Guido Pella 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The 2019 semi-finalist Shapovalov held on in an all-lefty battle for his first Masters 1000 victory of the year. The 23-year-old next faces ninth seed Taylor Fritz or wild card Emilio Nava.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

In an attempt to temper the on-court mental rollercoaster, finding emotional equilibrium is a key part of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s life on the ATP Tour. The Spaniard and his team have discovered that there is no better place to train this than in everyday life. In fact, after a great campaign at the BNP Paribas Open, he had the perfect opportunity to put his training into practice.

Davidovich knew he had to be careful of the explosion of joy that came with reaching his first quarter-finals in the desert and guaranteeing himself a place in the Top 25 of the Pepperstone ATP Ranking for the first time.

“It’s a result of all the hard work,” Davidovich Fokina said. “But sometimes these things make you feel euphoric and excited, and you have to handle it calmly, because otherwise you can come back down with a crash. You have to stay level.”

But his excellent performance in Indian Wells was not the only reason he had to be wary of his emotions. He also had to draw on his new-found mental strength during his journey from California to Florida, when he was stuck in a plane at the airport for over eight hours. It was a test of the Spaniard’s new-found mental fortitude, leaving his hotel in Indian Wells at 8:15 a.m. last Wednesday only to eventually arrive at his accommodation in Miami at 11:00 a.m. the following day… without any luggage!

“The day after losing to Medvedev [in Indian Wells], we had a flight at 11:00 a.m. to Dallas and then another from Dallas to Miami,” remembers ‘Foki’ as he begins to recount his ordeal. “And halfway along they tell us that we have to divert to Austin because there was a tornado in Dallas. And we had to wait for it to go in order to continue the journey. In the end we were sitting on the plane not doing anything for eight hours.”

He spent less time competing in the California desert, and he was there for an entire fortnight. During his matches in Indian Wells, where he defeated Wu Yibing, Karen Khachanov and Cristian Garin, he spent a total of just over seven hours on court. Little did he know that he would spend almost nine trapped in a stationary plane.

At one point, the reason they were unable to take off stopped being the tornado. Their new foe became the air traffic in Austin, then fuel and poor weather and, finally, there were no new pilots available. “It was driving us all round the bend!” explains Jorge Aguirre, Davidovich’s coach, who was sitting one row in front of his understudy. “Every so often, the pilot would say, ‘We’ll be taking off soon’. And that went on for almost nine hours. It was also a small plane. Just imagine!”

Davidovich was sitting with his girlfriend, doing his best to deal with the frustration of confinement and uncertainty. “We were both fed up, telling each other that it looked like we would be there for a while. So we acted as if we were at home, watching things on the iPad,” said the 23-year-old.

The people close to him have been key to his quest for balance, and the experience of that journey is a prime example. “Everyone around me, my team, my girlfriend, my family… they are all there to keep my feet on the ground,” explained the Spaniard.

“We know that we have to help him manage his emotions in his daily life so that he is well drilled on court when it comes to dealing with things calmly, rather than angrily or emotionally,” Aguirre revealed. “The goal is for him to kind of see situations as challenges to allow him to handle them with a better perspective.”

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The challenge presented by his trip to Miami is an example, and it is one that Davidovich Fokina overcame with aplomb. After the exhausting wait in Austin, they disembarked and took another direct flight to Miami, which took off at 5:30 a.m. However, once they had landed, they discovered they had no luggage. It arrived three days later!

“In the end, we decided to spend those days resting in Miami, so there were no problems in that respect,” concluded Davidovich.

Having come through the challenge of his travel nightmare, avoiding tornadoes and other setbacks, the Spaniard is now ready for his next one at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he will play his opener against American Brandon Nakashima. His objective there is to continue to pick up points for the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

“We’re really focused on the Race [Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin]. On this US swing, we’re concentrating on the goal of getting into the top group to try and be part of the peloton,” explains Jorge Aguirre. “The fact that he’s also now in the Top 25 of the Race is great and it shows we’re on the right path.”

Casper Ruud reached the final at the Miami Open presented by Itau last year. The Norwegian is back at the hard-court event this week and chasing his maiden tour-level title of the season.

Before his opening match against Ilya Ivashka, Ruud caught up with ATP Uncovered and answered questions fans put to him. The 24-year-old discussed his bromance with Italian Matteo Berrettini, revealed his guilty food pleasures and picked his favourite player to watch on the Hologic WTA Tour.

“I think she plays fun from the current generation,” Ruud said. “She has been dominating for the past year or so.”

Many fans think Ruud has a famous lookalike in the form of a singer. While unsure of the comparison himself, the Norwegian is eager to play a round of golf with the Irishman.

“I have seen this comparison a couple of times. I don’t see it as much as some others do,” Ruud said. “I have seen videos of him playing golf, so it would be fun to get a round in with him. Maybe people would have a tough time seeing who is who.”

Tune into the video to hear Ruud’s answers.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es

Although Guillermo Coria left behind an incredible legacy that includes nine tour-level titles and a spell at No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2004, many remember him for one of his signature moves: the drop shot. Who better to ask, then, about one of its biggest proponents in today’s game, Carlos Alcaraz?

During his visit to the Miami Open presented by Itau, a tournament where he reached the final in 2004, ‘The Magician’ analysed one of the key shots in the armoury of the current World No. 1.

“Alcaraz’s drop shot is amazing,” Coria told ATPTour.com. “He’s a very intelligent player, who reads the game very well. He plays drop shots right when they should be played. He always sets up well and, best of all, he disguises it so well.

“That makes it even more complete. I’m in awe of how he plays drop shots. I love and celebrate the fact that there’s a player with so much potential who has such a good drop shot,” he adds with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. His favourite shot is now a rarity on the ATP Tour, but seeing the World No. 1 use it so frequently brings a smile to his face.

Most amazing of all is that Alcaraz can pull it off on every surface. Even on fast courts, where the ball bounces the most, increasing an opponent’s chances of reaching it. Also, Alcaraz is brave enough to utilize this weapon under the utmost pressure, when the nerves are jangling.

For Guillermo, the elder brother of Federico —who is playing this week in Miami— Alcaraz is one of the three players with the best drop shots in today’s game.

“I would put him right up there. Andy Murray also has a very good one, as does Djokovic,” Coria said. “They both use it as a tool to surprise the opponent. Those two and Alcaraz are the players I enjoy most when they play drop shots.”

Coria’s opinion was relayed to the man himself during Alcaraz’s first press conference in Miami. He replied: “It really is a great compliment for him to say that I’m one of the best at that. It’s incredible to hear that from Guillermo. It’s true that it’s a weapon I try to use quite a lot. I have very powerful shots, and combining them with the drop shot makes for a very good combination. I’ve had it since I was little, it’s something that comes from within.”

The statistics back him up. The drop shot played a fundamental part in Alcaraz’s title campaign at the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. In the tournament, the Spaniard played 50 drop shots in six matches, and he won the point with 70 per cent of them. In fact, he won 16 of those points consecutively in his second-round clash (d. Cilic) and in the quarters (d. Kecmanovic).

Coria, who retired in 2009 and currently captains the Argentine Davis Cup team, explains why Alcaraz has such a high success rate when he decides to play a drop shot.

“When his opponent is on the defence, you can’t tell if Alcaraz is going to hit the ball on one side or the other, or if he’s going to play a drop shot,” the 41-year-old Argentine said. “In general, they are expecting the ball to come back hard. That’s why it’s a surprise.

“Also, he hits it very well on both sides, with his backhand and forehand. And he has a very good drop shot with both. My drop shots, for example, were on my forehand. I very rarely played it on my backhand.”

Again, his observations are backed up by the statistics; last year in Miami, the Spaniard played 30 drop shots with his forehand (winning 22) and 20 with his backhand (winning 13).

There is another important factor in Alcaraz’s success with this shot. He plays so deep and with such power that he gradually pushes his opponent back in the middle of the point. This creates the perfect space required to play drop shots. Argentinian Sebastian Baez can attest to that after two losses against the world No. 1.

“With all the power he has, he pushes you back, and when he hits the drop shot, whether it’s good or not, you’re really far back,” Baez said. “He uses that to gain time and sometimes it’s not even worth running. It’s a great resource among the other thousands he has.”

He made a statement with it last year, and this fortnight in Miami he will be bidding to demonstrate that he has become even more adept with this weapon over the last 12 months.