Alex de Minaur will take on Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, while the red-hot Grigor Dimitrov battles 2021 Miami Open champion Hubert Hurkacz.
(9) Alex de Minaur vs. Fabian Marozsan
Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan has undoubtedly provided the surprise result of the Miami Masters. The world No. 57 didn’t just upset No. 6 seed Holger Rune in the second round, he completely dismantled him. Rune, who has had an inconsistent 2024 season, managed to win just two games. Marozsan also dispatched Alexei Popyrin in straight sets in the third round. But he now faces down a fit, in-form Alex de Minaur in the round of 16.
De Minaur has had a fantastic start to the season, but beyond his 19-5 record in 2024, he is also well-suited to the hot, humid conditions in Miami. De Minaur hasn’t dropped a set this week, with wins over Soonwoo Kwon and Jan-Lennard Struff to earn his spot in the fourth round. De Minaur does not play a high risk game, thus he is not likely to donate points to the Marozsan cause the way Rune did.
Cheryl pick – De Minaur in 2
WWW: De Minaur vs. Marozsan?
(11) Grigor Dimitrov vs. (8) Hubert Hurkacz
If their previous 4 matches have taught us anything, it’s that this round of 16 match will be tightly contested. But it’s also completely one-sided, with Dimitrov coming away with the win each time. Interestingly, they’ve play twice on clay and twice indoors, so surface speed doesn’t really seem to make much of a difference.
Hurkacz comes into the fourth round off a competitive third round match with American Sebastian Korda. And while his matches are rarely taxing given the short points, he still spent more than 2 hours on court. The Pole had a great run at the Australian Open, but his results have been lackluster otherwise. Hurkacz has traditionally played well in Miami, but whether it’s enough to offset his matchup problem with Dimitrov remains to be seen. Given the Bulgarian’s current form, expect another win for Dimitrov.
Cheryl pick – Dimitrov in 3
The post Miami R4 previews and predictions: De Minaur vs. Marozsan, Dimitrov vs. Hurkacz appeared first on The Grandstand.
