Masters 1000 in Miami, the draw with five Italians

After the curtain has fallen on Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 of the season, the circuit moves to the East coast, in Miami where the second of the spring tournaments on US hardcourt is played. Jannik Sinner, who defends the final reached last year and lost to Hurkacz, has returned to training after the ailment that hit him in Indian Wells preventing him from taking the field against Nick Kyrgios. Among the Azzurri in the main draw also Matteo Berrettini, confirmed number 6 in the ATP ranking, and fresh from the defeat in the round of 16 against Kecmanovic, Lorenzo Sonego and Lorenzo Musetti as well as Fabio Fognini.

The draw

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Four of the Azzurri in the main draw: Berrettini, Fognini, Sinner and Sonego were drawn in the lower part of the board together with Alexander Zverev: Musetti instead finished in the upper part, that of the Russian Daniil Medvedev looking for a revenge after the early knockout of Indian Wells vs Gael Monfils. A possible quarter-final between the Italian number 1 and number 2 is on the horizon. Lorenzo Musetti, n.76 of the world ranking, does not have a bye and will start from the first facing the Australian Alexei Popyrin, n.92. The two have already crossed paths four times in their careers and Simone Tartarini’s pupil is 3-1 ahead in the precedents. Already beaten in three of the four previous matches (just the last three, without losing a set, including the one played in the first round of the Phoenix Challenger last week).

The winner of this match will be the second round opponent of the Croatian Marin Cilic, # 23. Entry into the race directly to the second round for the other four. Matteo Berrettini awaits the winner between Juan Manuel Cerundolo, # 122, and Dusan Lajovic, # 46. Sinner, now number 11 in the world, will face the winner between Maxime Cressy and Emil Ruusuvuori. For Lorenzo Sonego, the opponent will be between the Chinese wild card Shang (441) and a qualifier and Fognini is also waiting for the winner of a match between qualifiers.

Without Big 3

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With Novak Djokovic out of the US for his unvaccinated status, and Roger Federer still at the beginning of the recovery path for right knee operations, the Miami Open will have to do without Rafa Nadal as well. The Majorcan, finalist in Indian Wells and defeated by Fritz, had already forfeited during the Californian tournament and will now also have to recover from the injury to his bibs suffered in the semifinal against Alcaraz.