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For the first time since their dramatic Wimbledon encounter nearly two years ago, world No. 1 Serena Williams and Sabine Lisicki will cross paths on the professional tour. Williams will now have the opportunity to avenge her loss to Lisicki when they meet in the quarter-final of the Miami Open. Williams leads the head-to-head series 2-1.

Watch the match Live Here: Williams vs Lisicki Miami Live Stream

In expected form, Serena Williams emphasized her top seed status when she cruised past Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets to reach the quarter-final round in Miami. It was an impressively dominant win against an opponent who was playing well at the event beforehand, as she closed out the match 6-2, 6-3. She struck six aces, won 85% of her first service points and saved all four of the break points she faced to close out the match in one hour and 14 minutes.

“Playing Svetlana, I know she’s super tough – we always have super tough matches,” Williams said. “The last time we played I was just fighting my hardest and I was barely able to win, so today I knew I had to come out super super focused, and I really just tried to do the best I could out there.”

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“That’s a lot of winners – I’m just so happy to still be out here playing at home,” she added.

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki reached the quarter-final following an upset victory against Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic. She stormed past Ivanovic 6-1, 6-2 in a surprisingly smooth performance to set up her encounter with Williams.

This mark the fourth time that these two competitors cross paths on the WTA tour, with Williams leading the head-to-head series 2-1. While the American holds the lead in the series, Lisicki won their most recent meeting at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. Howevr, while Lisicki seems to play her best at SW19, she is unlikely to overcome the longtime champion en route to the semi-final.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Straight Sets

An intriguing fourth round encounter between Canada’s Milos Raonic and John Isner is scheduled to take place on Tuesday afternoon in Miami. It will mark just the third time that the two big serving talents will cross paths on the tour, with the Isner v Raonic Head to Head standing at 2-0. However, given that this is their first meeting in almost two years, this will likely be a more competitive encounter.

Watch the match Live Here: Raonic vs Isner Miami Live Streaming

Canadian No.1 Milos Raonic edged France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3) to secure his spot in the fourth round in Miami. He struck 20 aces and hit 39 winners to close out the match in two hours and 10 minutes.

“[Chardy] started playing more freely and I sort of went the other way,” said Raonic. “He played good the second set. I thought he played better than I did in the third set.”

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Raonic will come up against John Isner, who upset ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-2 to secure his spot in the following round of the event.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning,” said Isner. “I hadn’t played at night here; hadn’t played on center court yet. Everything is different; the conditions are different. I wasn’t really going for my shots too much. “After winning the first set, it’s a huge advantage for me. I relaxed a little bit… His errors combined with me gaining some confidence out there is what ultimately allowed me to win that second set.”

This is just the third time that Raonic and Isner will meet on the ATP World Tour. Both of those previous meetings took place at Masters events, the first in Toronto, while the second was in Cincinnati the following year. However, much has changed since then and Raonic continues to close the gap between himself and the upper echelon of the tour, which means he could very well earn his first win against the American on Tuesday.

Prediction: Milos Raonic in Three Sets

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British No. 1 Andy is through to the fourth round of the Miami Open, where he will contest yet another match against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson. It will mark their fifth meeting on the ATP World Tour; Murray holds a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head series, including a recent win in Valencia late last season.

Watch the match Live Here: Murray vs Anderson Miami Live Stream

Seeded third in Miami, Murray blasted his way past Santiago Giraldo in straight set to advance to the fourth round of the tournament. He now holds 499 wins and will look to secure his 500-win milestone when he faces Kevin Anderson on Tuesday.

“It’s nice, because when you see the list of the players that have won that many matches there aren’t loads,” said Murray. “I think there are only 40 or so players that have done it.”

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Murray played a clean match against Giraldo, as he struck five aces and 19 winners to earn the victory in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I played well,” Murray added. “I thought it was a good performance. I hit the ball pretty clean. He came out and started swinging a bit towards the end of the match and made it a little bit tricky, but I thought for the most part I played very well.”

Kevin Anderson also faced a similarly straightforward match on Sunday, as he defeated Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-4 to secure his spot in the fourth round of the tournament. He fired 12 aces, won 83% of his first service points and converted all three break point opportunities to close out the match in 88 minutes.

This contest will serve as the fifth encounter between Murray and Anderson. The Briton leads the head-to-head series 2-1, including a win late last season in Valencia. Murray should pick up another win against Anderson with little notable resistance if he plays his best tennis.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Three Sets

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal’s campaign for his first Miami Open title will have to be put on hold for another year, as the Spaniard crashed out of the third round of the tournament with a loss to Fernando Verdasco on Sunday.

It was a timid performance from Nadal, who rallied from a set down to level the match and force a decider. However, he was unable to stop his fellow countryman from breaking serve in the final set to close out the match 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

In the end, Nadal refused to use his physical condition as a crutch, and instead explained that the issue was with confidence and nerves at the moment.

“It’s not the question of tennis, [It’s] the question of being relaxed enough to play well on court,” the 28 year old said. “Today my game in general improved since a month and a half [ago]. But at the same time, [I’m] still playing with too many nerves for a lot of moments, in important moments.”

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Nadal is aware that he has been surrendering matches that were firmly within hi grasp, which is something he plans to work on with his team.

“I have been able to control my emotions during 90 per cent, 95 per cent of my matches of my career… But I’m going to fix it,” he said. “I don’t know if [it’ll be] in one week, in six months, or in one year, but I’m going to do it.

“It’s something that I need to fix for myself and with my team. I need the help of my team, but especially I need the help of myself. That’s what I am trying to do. Nobody’s going to change the situation for you.”

Canadian No. 1 Eugenie Bouchard suffered an even more devastating exit from the tournament, as she lost to qualifier Tatjana Maria 6-0, 7-6 (4). She was broken on five occasions and crashed out of the tournament in embarrassing fashion as the sixth seed in Miami.

“I’m going to take a day off,” Bouchard said, “and then I’m going to practice a lot and try to put this one behind me as soon as possible.”

Following impressive performances in their third round matches in Miami, Simona Halep and Flavia Pennetta are scheduled to take part in an enthralling encounter to determine who will advance to the quarter-final stage of the tournament. This is the fourth time that Pennetta and Halep will meet on the tour and the Romanian is yet to earn her first victory over the veteran. Check out the Halep vs Pennetta Head to Head.

Watch the match Live Here: Halep vs Pennetta Miami Live Stream

World No. 3 Simona Halep took part in a wildly entertaining third round match against Italy’s Camila Giorgi, whom she eventually defeated in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 to secure the win. It marked her best career showing in Miami.

“Yeah, it’s the first time I’m in the fourth round here in Miami,” Halep said. “I came from Indian Wells, where I won the title, so I have more confidence now to win matches. And I like to play here. But I’m just trying to stay focused and keep improving every match. I want to fight for every chance.”

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Halep’s fourth round match will be against Flavia Pennetta, who defeated Victoria Azarenka in straight sets – both competitive tiebreaks. She toppled the former Miami Open champion 7-6(5), 7-6(6).

“It was a really good match. We both played really well,” Pennetta said. “In the end I was a little bit tight, but that’s normal when you have such a great champion like her on the other side of the net.

Of their three previous meetings on the professional tour, Halep has never managed to defeat Pennetta. However, while she holds an 0-3 record against the Italian, they have not crossed paths since 2013, which means she will now play an entirely different Halep this time around. With that in mind, this could be Halep’s time to clinch that elusive win.

“She’s improved a lot,” Pennetta said. “I’m going to try everything.”

Prediction: Simona Halep in Three Sets

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For the first time in nearly two years, Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova will cross paths on the WTA Tour in what will mark their tenth meeting on the professional tour. The American leads the head-to-head series 7-2, and has not lost to the Russian in six years.

Watch the match Live Here: Williams vs Kuznetsova Miami Live Streaming

Sunday afternoon saw a generational battle between Americans Serena Williams, the world No. 1 player, and 15-year-old CiCi Bellis, who took the tour by storm at last year’s US Open. While it was an intriguing match-up, the scoreline was lopsided as expected, as Williams notched a 6-1, 6-1 victory in 41 minutes of court time.

While it was a one-sided match, Williams was impressed with the way the 15-year-old handled herself during the match.

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“It was tough. She’s young, and her being an American and her just doing so well, you want to see people like her do well,” Williams said. “So when you’re up against them you have to kind of put that aside, even though I’m always cheering for her. But I have to put it aside and just play the match.

“If you break down her age and ability and how well she handled the moment, it was good.”

The American will come up against Svetlana Kuznetsova, who toppled 13th seed Angelique Kerber 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, including a comeback from a break down in the final set, to secure her spot in the fourth round. It was an impressive victory over a slumping player.

This marks the tenth time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Williams leading the head-to-head series 7-2. Williams has also won their last two consecutive matches dating back to 2009. Her only hard court loss to the Russian was back in 2007, while the other loss was at Roland Garros in 2009. Given those stats, the odds will greatly favour the storied Miami champion on Monday.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Straight Sets

Former world No. 1 players Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams will meet for a seventh time on the professional tour. With Williams’ 6-0 lead in the head-to-head series looming over her, Wozniacki will look put the first blemish on the American’s undefeated streak on Monday afternoon.

Watch the match Live Here: Williams vs Wozniacki Miami Live Streaming

Seeded 16th at the tournament, Venus Williams managed to overcome the 23rd seed Sam Stosur in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(3) to secure her spot in the fourth round of the tournament.

“I served for it a few times, but the second set didn’t go exactly as I wanted,” Williams said. “It was so interesting, because once I got to the tie-breaker, that’s when I really started to feel a lot more rhythm in my game. I think she did, too. So I think playing extra games actually helped me today. “I think I’m going to be feeling a lot better once my next rounds come around.”

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Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki rallied from a set down to defeat Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. She was even down 2-1 in the final set before she pulled herself together to cross the finish line and set up her seventh meeting against Williams.

“We played a really competitive match this year,” Williams said. “I can’t remember the score in the last set, but it was tough. I was so happy to win that match. I’m going to try to learn from that. “I would love to win that match in two sets, but it’s going to take some work.”

This marks the seventh time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Williams leading the series with an unblemished 5-0 record. While four of those encounters took place seven years ago, the most recent match-up was last season, where Williams cruised past Wozniacki 6-3, 6-2 en route to winning the Dubai title several days later, and in January, where she defeated the Dane to capture the Auckland title. Given her dominance in the rivalry, it is difficult to envision Caroline winning this upcoming encounter.

Prediction: Venus Williams in Three Sets

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With minimal effort required, Kei Nishikori found himself strolling into the third round of the Miami Open, where he will encounter Serbia’s Viktor Troicki for the third rime on the ATP World tour. The pair split their previous two encounters and have not crossed paths on the tour since 2013, so it will be interesting to see who prevails in this intriguing rubber match. Check out the Nishikori vs Troicki Head to Head.

Follow the match Live Here: Nishikori vs Troicki Miami Live Streaming

The tournament’s fourth seed breezed into the third round in Miami with a straight sets victory over Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny. He won 70% of his first service pints and converted five break points to close out the match in one hour and nine minutes. It was also his 19th win on of the season, which emphasizes his impressive first quarter in 2015.

“I felt really good on the court,” said Nishikori. “Really confident. It was a little windy, but the weather was actually good. It wasn’t too hot or too humid. It was easy to play. And also I was almost dictating the court against Misha, and serving well. Everything was good. So really happy the way I’m playing today.”

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Victor Troicki needed three sets to defeat Italy’s Simone Bolelli 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. He struck nine aces, won 71% f his first service points and converted three break points to close out the match in two hours and 11 minutes.

This marks the third time that Nishikori and Troicki will cross paths on the professional tour, with the series split at 1-1. Troicki won their first meeting in 2010, while Nishikori avenged that Tokyo loss in 2010 with a Madrid Masters victory in 2013. Given that the Japanese No. 1 is the player on a upward career trajectory, the odds will favour him to earn the victory within three sets. With a title and runner-up finish already notched under his belt so far this season, Nishikori should be the pick to satisfy the oddsmakers.

Prediction: Kei Nishikori in Three Sets

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Following a tough opening round match in Miami, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is through to the third round of the Miami Open, where he will now come up against Steve Darcis for a second time on the professional tour. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 1-0 but has not stepped across the net from Darcis for nearly seven years.

Follow the match Live Here: Djokovic vs Darcis Miami Live Streaming

It is rare that the top seed is pushed to a deciding set after winning the opening frame with a bagel. However, that was exactly the case on Saturday evening when Novak Djokovic was forced to dig deep late in the match against Slovak Martin Klizan to secure the win. The first set last 22 minutes but he ended up getting broken at 5-5 in the second set to force a third one. There, rebounded with an immediate double break and pushed to close out the match 6-0, 5-7, 6-1.

“Credit to Martin for battling and making me play the extra shot,” said Djokovic. “It was a pretty different game in the second set than it was in the first… I have been in these particular situations before many times in my career, and the experience obviously helps just to regroup and find a way.

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“I was frustrated, no doubt about that, and every athlete goes through ups and downs and various emotions during the matches like this, and it’s important always to regroup and maintain that self‑belief and composure.”

The Serb will now come up against Steve Darcis, who beat Norbert Gombos and Marco Cecchinato to qualify for the tournament before he added wins over Malek Jaziri and Gilles Muller to advance to the third round in Miami. Both his main draw matches required three sets, including his 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3 win over Muller on Saturday.

This is just the second time that Djokovic and Darcis will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, and the first time in almost seven years. That first meeting took place in at the Rome Masters event, which Djokovic won in straight sets 6-4, 6-0. While Darcis has been impressive this week, his win streak will likely come to a halt against the top seed on Monday.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Straight Sets

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