By Chris Oddo | Tuesday March 19, 2019
As the scene switches from Indian Wells and Miami, we’re taking a look at the men’s singles draw at the Miami Open and giving you five key storylines to watch before main draw action gets underway on Wednesday.
First, here’s a look at the full draw:
And now, let’s get into some storylines…
1. Old Guard vs New Guard
Dominic Thiem’s title at Indian Wells means that seven of the last 15 Masters 1000 titles (dating back to Rome 2017) have been claimed by players who had never won a title at that level. It’s a pretty drastic about face from what we saw in the decade prior to the beginning of the aforementioned period. According to the ATP, there were only seven first-time Masters 1000 champions in the 86 Masters 1000 events that took us to Rome 2017.
So we’ve gone from total Big 4 domination to an era of relative opportunity.
Things have clearly changed with the injuries to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, and the fact that the Big 4 +Wawrinka are all well beyond their thirties. How much do Federer and Djokovic have to give at the Masters 1000 level these days? We may find that out this week where six-time champion Djokovic will come in as the heavy favorite to come out of the top half and Federer will be favored to anchor the bottom half.
But if either player falters, there are lots of young guns that could take a shot. Think Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Borna Coric, Kei Nishiori, Nick Kyrgios and Gael Monfils. None has won a Masters 1000 title, and they all seem like longshots right now, but did anybody have Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells before the tournament started?
2. Will Alexander Zverev Get His Season on Track?
It hasn’t exactly been a disastrous season for Germany’s Sascha Zverev, but it hasn’t been great either. The 21-year-old has struggled with an ankle injury and hasn’t played a heavy schedule. He lost in the round of 16 at the Australian Open to Milos Raonic and it wasn’t even close. He got outclassed by Nick Kyrgios in the Acapulco final, and he was bounced from the BNP Paribas Open in the second round by Jan-Lennard Struff. Maybe the loss was a blessing for the German, who hasn’t seemed quite right all season. If Zverev finds his health he could be dangerous in Miami, where he has gone 8-2 in the last two seasons with a final in 2018.
3. Kei Ready to Crush?
Former Miami finalist Kei Nishikori had a streak of four years of quarter-finals or better at Miami Open napped last year, but he wasn’t quite healthy and he had the unenviable task of facing Juan Martin del Potro in the second round. This year, with a better draw and much better form, could be much better for Nishikori.
He lost early at Indian Wells, a place he has struggled at historically, which will have given him plenty of time to rest up and gear up for another push in Miami. Let’s not forget that Nishikori is 13-4 on the season and he has already won his first title in three years (Brisbane).
4. Roger that!
Rafael Nadal is missing from this year’s draw due to his knee injury, and Juan Martin del Potro is also out. But legendary 37-year-old Roger Federer has already been spotted on the practice courts in Miami, and appears eager to keep his momentum going.
Federer is looking at a potential third-rounder with Stan Wawrinka and a potential round of 16 with Daniil Medvedev in the seeds hold. Federer comes in at 12-2 with a title and a final at his last two events, and he was two games from winning the title on Sunday at Indian Wells.
Federer is 50-14 lifetime at Miami with three titles. A lot, of course will depend on how well he takes to the new surface and surroundings at Miami, but if anyone in this field is adept at making the necessary adjustments, that would be Federer.
5. Building on Momentum
Dominic Thiem will look to continue his positive momentum in Miami, as will Karen Khachanov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Miomir Kecmanovic and Milos Raonic. Plenty of points are on the line, and each of the aforementioned has made big strides in the last two weeks. For Thiem and Auger-Aliassime it will be about taking that momentum to the clay. For the others it might be about making the most of the last big hardcourt event until the summer. A good showing means a lot, but back-to-back strong performances can really be a boost in terms of confidence for the rest of the season.