Miami Masters - Semifinal Predictions
- Cross Court Tennis
- Mar 30, 2024
- 3 min read
Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev prepare to face off in a blockbuster rematch of the Australian Open final
Sinner vs Medvedev
One of the most hotly anticipated matches of the tournament is upon us here in Miami. The day session sees Daniil Medvedev take to the court against Jannik Sinner for the first time since their historic Australian Open clash back in January. While neither of them have brought their best tennis to the bright sunshine of Hard Rock Stadium, they are known to elevate their level most when it matters - so be sure that there will undoubtedly be bounds of quality on Friday. Medvedev is famous for his metronomic, grinding brand of tennis, while Sinner loves to overpower with otherwordly pace. While the 6'6" Russian did sweep the first six meetings in the pair's head-to-head, Sinner clinched their last four in fine fashion. It just seems right now like Jannik has got Daniil all figured out.
Even when the Russian is throwing the kitchen sink at him - whether it be moving up to the baseline to return, something which seems almost alien to Medvedev, or taking the ball big and early to try and move the 22-year-old around - Sinner has got all the answers. Although fatigue did play a big part in the Australian Open final where Medvedev took the first two sets and dropped the next three, I do think that overall, Sinner has the tactical upper hand - and is one of the very few players that has the patience and ability to slowly but steadily outhit Medvedev. The Italian just has a plethora of weapons in his arsenal and has too many different options on how to finish points against Medvedev's defence. Even though the towering 28-year-old may give him different looks on Friday, I just don't think it will be enough to throw Sinner off his game. Make no mistake - the younger player might waver and unforced errors may start to creep in - but they will only be for a short period of time. I'm picking Sinner to reign supreme over Medvedev for the fifth time in a row.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Dimitrov vs Zverev
Grigor Dimitrov is having the time of his life right now. But after that stunning display against the World No. 2, he faces an other tall order - this time arguably taller than his previous in terms of stylistic matchup. Zverev came through Hungarian dark horse Fabian Marozsan with relative ease, and will be looking to enter his first Masters final since Madrid in 2022. Zverev leads the pair's head-to-head 7-1, and the only victory the Bulgarian attained was back in 2014 when Sascha was only 17 years old. Now a much more experienced player, the German has found the key to Dimitrov and his gamestyle.
Unlike Alcaraz, who throws in a vast array of variety such as slices, drop shots, and net-rushing, Zverev is more rhythmic. He will almost certainly target Dimitrov's backhand mercilessly and with rigid, unflinching pace - not too hard to blow him off the court, but just hard enough to keep the Bulgarian at bay and extract any costly errors. Zverev's rock-solid, focused brand of tennis may just wear the veteran down and lull him into more errors than usual, and let's be fair - it's almost impossible for anyone to keep up the same level Dimitrov did against Alcaraz in their next match.
Furthermore, Dimitrov is known to struggle physically towards the latter stages of long tournaments like this; although he is innately gifted with raw athleticism and agility, the Bulgarian simply lacks the endurance and stamina required to compete at the highest level week-long. Zverev will definitely have the edge in the physicality department and will try to extend rallies as much as possible, which is something that compliments his gamestyle perfectly.
In the end, I believe that the head-to-head doesn't lie; ultimately, tennis is all about a clash of styles, and this one simply doesn't bode well for Grigor.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
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