Damien Kayat previews Jannik Sinner vs Emil Ruusuvuori and Carlos Alcaraz vs Taylor Fritz in the Quarterfinals of the Miami Masters, on the 29th and 30th of March 2023.
2023 ATP Tour
Masters 1000
Miami Masters
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Quarterfinals – 29th, 30th March
March 29
Jannik Sinner 1/7 | Emil Ruusuvuori 15/4
Jannik Sinner’s brilliance has gone a little bit under the radar this year. His amazing round of 16 victory against Andrey Rublev took his year-to-date record to 19-4.
He was spellbinding in that match, hitting 28 winners and just eight unforced errors against one of the hardest hitting players on tour. He was strong on return, winning three of his five break-point opportunities.
And he won a staggering 86% of first-serve points (not facing a single break-point in the match). Sinner won the Montpellier title and made it to the Rotterdam final.
Only the exceptional Carlos Alcaraz could stop him during an excellent semi-final run at Indian Wells. And lest we forget, this is the arena where Sinner reached his maiden ATP 1000 final last year.
23-year-old Finn is certainly a surprise package this year. The current World No.54 hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in 2023. He came into the Miami Masters with an underwhelming 4-8 record for the year.
But the powerful baseliner has defied expectations, reaching his maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal with some really solid tennis. He never dropped a set in his first three matches- beating 22nd seed Bautista Agut in the process.
He just came from a set down to take down powerful Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. The victory made him the first Finnish man in ten years to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal- Jarkko Nieminin reached the Monte-Carlos quarters in 2013.
Verdict: Sinner to win in straight sets at 46/100
The powerful Italian has dominated this head-to-head rivalry, winning all four of their previous matches. In fact, a Miami Open match between Sinner and Ruusuvuori is becoming a staple for the fans at the Hard Rock Stadium. Sinner easily breezed past the Finn here in 2021 before a much more competitive encounter last year.
In fact, Sinner had to save three match points to see off the Finn in last year’s 3rd round. This will be a bruising encounter between two players most comfortable hugging the baseline. I wish I could offer you something slightly creative here. But the Finn struggled past Van de Zandschulp while Sinner gave a complete performance against Rublev. This should be a cakewalk for the Italian.
March 30
Carlos Alcaraz 1/4 | Taylor Fritz 5/2
Now this is a match worthy of final status. Can you imagine the atmosphere as Spanish firebrand Carlos Alcaraz goes up against the effortlessly cool American Taylor Fritz?
Despite some squeals about poor sportsmanship during his early matches, Alcaraz still generates massive interest due to his high-octane style. The Spanish star hits the ball brilliantly but isn’t adverse to wild drop-shots and coming to the net.
He employs a flamboyant style that ensures crowds will see incredible things when he is in action. His straight sets victory against the solid Tommy Paul took his 2023 record to a staggering 17-1. The reigning US Open champion looked brilliant against Paul, turning the crowd in his favour with some magnificent tennis.
He won a staggering 12 of 13 points at the net (highlighting his all-court prowess). He became the youngest person to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ with victory at last week’s Indian Wells. If he defends Miami title he will become the youngest man to win both titles in the same season (the pure ‘Sunshine Double’).
He actually needs to win this week in order to keep his newly acquired World No.1 ranking (a weird quirk of this ranking system).
Top ranked American Taylor Fritz is enjoying an extremely consistent campaign. He is riding the wave of fanatical home support in his quest to complete both legs of the ‘Sunshine Double’.
Last year’s Indian Wells champ was beaten by an inspired Jannik Sinner in defence of his maiden Masters 1000 title. But he has looked inspired this week, yet to drop a set and reaching the quarterfinals here for the first time in seven appearances.
He really looked impressive against Holger Rune, using his potent serve and powerful groundstrokes to overpower the Danish teenager. He hit 9 winners in a consummate display that took his year-to-date win-loss record to 20-5.
He will be aiming to make his 3rd Masters 1000 semi-final when he takes on the seemingly unbeatable Carlos Alcaraz.
Verdict: Alcaraz to win in straight sets 4/6
This will actually be the first career meeting between these two. It’s going to be interesting to see the crowd vacillate. They will obviously be right behind hometown hero Fritz in his quest to climb the ATP ladder. But Alcaraz has a special connection with this crowd through his dynamic all-court style.
Fritz will need to serve exceptionally to stay in the picture here. But I just don’t think he has enough firepower to match Alcaraz in this type of form. Alcaraz returns from deep in the court and is liable to throw in even more drop-shots against the gangly Fritz.
