ATP Miami Open Preview

Defending champion and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz fronts a loaded Miami Open draw this week as the ATP Tour descends on South Florida for the second ATP 1000 Masters event in a row.

The 19-year-old Spaniard won the title last year – for his maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph – when he beat Casper Ruud in the final. As he returns to Miami, flush off winning the Indian Wells Masters against Daniil Medvedev in the BNP Paribas Open final, he will be going for the Sunshine Double – a feat accomplished by only seven players before him.

The top seed is the oddsmaker’s favorite on the tennis betting board, but his path to the final won’t be straightforward. Third favorite Jannik Sinner lurks in the top half of the draw, along with American hopeful Taylor Fritz and up-and-coming Danish teenager Holger Rune.

In the bottom half of the draw, fourth seed Medvedev rings in as the second overall favorite at the sportsbook exchange. The Russian will be looking to reach a second consecutive ATP Masters 1000 final, but he’ll face stiff competition from second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, American hopeful Frances Tiafoe, and up-and-coming American Ben Shelton, who are just some of the many players that will fancy their chances of stealing the limelight for themselves.

In this column, we preview the Miami Open presented by the Itau draw, examine the tennis odds, and weigh in with some way-too-early tennis predictions for your consideration.

ATP Miami Open Odds – Top 35 Best Bets

The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.

First Quarter: Alcaraz, Rune Headliners

• Top seeds: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 7 Holger Rune, No. 9 Taylor Fritz, No. 16 Tommy Paul, No. 20 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, No. 24 Denis Shapovalov No. 30 Maxime Cressy, No. 31 Diego Schwartzman
• Dangerous Floaters: Andy Murray, Dusan Lajovic, Brandon Nakashima, John Isner, Yibing Wu

Alcaraz and Holger Rune are the top seeds in the first quarter, placed on a trajectory that will see them collide in a blockbuster NextGen quarterfinal matchup. To get there, both have to traverse a tricky obstacle course that features very capable players.

The Spaniard, who receives a first-round bye along with the top 32 seeds, will begin in the second round against Facundo Bagnis or a qualifier/lucky loser. Big-serving American Maxime Cressy is the first seeded player he could come up against in the R32. Then, in the R16, the seeded threats are No. 16 Tommy Paul and No. 20 Alejandro Davidovich Fokna. Paul represents the tougher challenge based on recent form. The American was a finalist in Acapulco and reached the R16 in Indian Wells.

Allllllll Alcaraz for the title! pic.twitter.com/bnRZiDdHEw

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) March 20, 2023

Rune will open his bid against the winner of Pedro Cachin vs Marton Fucsovics. No. 31 Diego Schwartzman is the first seed in his path to the last eight. In the R16, No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz, who is coming off a quarterfinal run in Indian Wells, looms as his biggest test. Alternatively, No. 24 Denis Shapovalov is a dangerous floater that could shake things up in this section.

• Quarterfinal Prediction: Alcaraz vs Fritz

Second Quarter: Ruud, Rublev Head Wide-Open Quarter

• Top seeds: No. 3 Casper Ruud, No. 6 Andrey Rublev, No. 10 Jannik Sinner, No. 13 Alexander Zverev, No. 21 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 22 Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 26 Botic Van de Zandschulp, No. 29 Miomir Kecmanovic.
• Dangerous Floaters: J.J. Wolf, Fabio Fognini, Gael Monfils, Taro Daniel

Last year’s finalist, Casper Ruud, falls into a wide-open quarter alongside sixth seed Andrey Rublev. Within this quarter, No. 10 Jannik Sinner and No. 13 Alexander Zverev are the players to spot. Sinner is coming off a semifinal run in Indian Wells whereas Zverev is slowly coming into his own, reclaiming the kind of form that made him one of the top players in the game.

Ruud could come up against Zverev in the R16. Earlier stumbling blocks include No. 26 Botic Van de Zandschulp, who is a potential R32 opponent.

Ce point INCROYABLE de Daniil Medvedev contre Alexander Zverev dans le tie-break. 🤯🤯pic.twitter.com/jIYZl7ovfH

— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) March 14, 2023

Arguably, Rublev has the tougher path to the final eight. The Russian will face either J.J. Wolf or Alexander Bublik in the R64. In the R32, dangerous floater Miomir Kecmanovic, who is seeded 29th, could emerge as a challenger. Then, in the fourth round, 10th seed Sinner or 21st seed Grigor Dimitrov are potential threats that could shake things up.

• Quarterfinal Prediction: Sinner vs Zverev

Third Quarter: Easy Path for Medvedev

• Top seeds: No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, No. 11 Cameron Norrie, No. 15 Alex De Minaur, No..17 Borna Coric, No.19 Matteo Berrettini, No. 29 Yoshihito Nishioka, No,. 32 Ben Shelton
• Dangerous Floaters: Alex Molcan, Mackenzie MacDonald,

Indian Wells runner-up Daniil Medvedev leads the charge in a third quarter that stacks up favorably for the Russian. The next highest seed is No. 8 Hubert Hurkacz, who is struggling to find consistent form and ranks among the middleweights in the betting online markets.

Unless Medvedev’s recent 19-1 run which includes three titles and a runner-up finish catches up to him, he should navigate his section with relative ease. No. 28 Yoshihito Nishioka is the first seed that could challenge the Russians in the R32. Then, No. 15 Alex De Minaur and No. 19 Matteo Berrettini are the next couple of seeds that could challenge him in the fourth round.

The art of court coverage, by Daniil Medvedev: @DaniilMedwed #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/KlaLH2FPLa

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 18, 2023

Hurkacz could face Ben Shelton in the R32. The American had a breakout tournament at the Australian Open, establishing himself as one of the game’s exciting young prospects. In the R16, the seeded threats include No. 11 Cameron Norrie and No. 17 Borna Coric.

• Quarterfinal Prediction: Shelton vs Medvedev

Fourth Quarter: Tsitsipas, Auger-Aliassime on Collision Course

• Top seeds: No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe, No. 14 Karen Khachanov, No. 18 Lorenzo Mussetti, No. 23 Daniel Evans, No. 25 Francisco Cerundolo, No. 27 Sebastian Baez.
• Dangerous Floaters: Lorenzo Sonego, Dominic Thiem, Thiago Monteiro, Jiri Lehecka, Richard Gasquet

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime are on course for a quarterfinal showdown; that is if the fourth quarter of the draw falls in line with the seeding. American hopeful and 12th seed Frances Tiafoe will hope to have a say in the matter as he looks to build on his semifinal run in Indian Wells.

Tsitsipas’s path looks favorable with No. 27 Sebastian Baez slated as a potential R32 opponent. Former US Open finalist Karen Khachanov, seeded 14th, and dark horse Lorenzo Musetti, seeded 19th, are potential R16 opponents. As well, unseeded Jiri Lehecka lurks in this corner as a potential surprise fourth-round challenger. To explore the exciting proposition bets for the Benjamin Bonzi vs Arthur Fils tennis match, visit BetUS.

🎬 🇨🇦 Auger-Aliassime’s Great Indian Wells Escape:

5-6 0-40
5-6 15-40
5-6 30-40
6-6 3-6
6-6 4-6
6-6 5-6

All SIX (!) match point saves as @felixtennis produces a remarkable comeback at #TennisParadise! pic.twitter.com/hf9aTvcREK

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 15, 2023

Auger-Aliassime is coming off a quarterfinal run in Indian Wells but replicating that in Miami will be challenging. No. 25 Francisco Cerundolo is the first seed that could test him in the R32 while No. 12 seed Tiafoe looms as a potential R16 opponent. As well, former US Open champion Dominic Thiem is in this section and he’ll be hoping for a renaissance in Miami.

• Quarterfinal Prediction: Tiafoe vs Tsitsipas.

Way Too Early Predictions for the Semis and Final

• Top Half Semifinall Prediction: Alcaraz vs Zverev
• Bottom Half Semifinal Prediction: Medvedev vs Tiafoe
• Final: Alcaraz vs Medvedev