The third round of the Miami Open features Gael Monfils taking on fellow Frenchman Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Tomas Berdych going up against Bernard Tomic. The Tennis Review previews the action and predicts the winner.
Gael Monfils (17) Vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (11)
This is easily the most attractive match of the day. Two of the game’s best shot-makers, best athletes and most passionate players going up against each other for a place in the last sixteen.
Monfils is having a strong 2015, finishing runner up in Marseilles and compiling a 10-4 win-loss record. His first round match against Filip Krajinovic was his first since the Open 13 event- he had to withdraw from Indian Wells with a chronic keen injury- and he won it in a third set tiebreaker.
Tsonga also comes into the contest after a tough three set win over Tim Smyczek in his first match of the year.
Tsonga leads the head to head 4-1, with all their matches played on hard. The only match that has gone the distance was Monfils’ sole win in Montpellier in 2010.
Tsonga will commit to an attacking game while Monfils will use his great athleticism to defend, and he will benefit from the extra time he will have to set up his shot-making.
It’s a clash of styles which is sure to provide many entertaining rallies and a few twists and turns. Expect both players to give 100 percent mentally, and with Tsonga being the dominant player in this head to head, the better outdoor hard player, and the better match player, this should go his way.
Prediction: Tsonga to win in three sets.
Tomas Berdych (8) Vs Bernard Tomic (25)
What makes this match up so intriguing is the clash of styles. Berdych is the game’s cleanest hitting ball-striker. Tomic, on the other hand, is all about touch, variety and court-smarts.
Berdych leads the head to head 3-0. Until now, they have only met at slams (Wimbledon 2013, 2014, Australian Open 2015), and Berdych has won each time, with the two Wimbledon clashes going four sets.
Both men are in good form. Berdych has been having a strong start to 2015 with new coach Daniel Vallverdu, and Tomic has re-committed himself to the game, making the last eight of Indian Wells last week, the furthest he has gone at an ATP 1000, and ranked 29, is two places below his career high ranking reached on 11.06.2012.
Tomic’s re-dedication to tennis is seeing him get good results outside of Wimbledon and Australia, and he is starting to consistently beat players ranked below him, and also those above him, such as his recent defeat in Indian Wells of no.8 David Ferrer.
This match will be on the slowest surface they have competed on yet, which slightly favors Berdych who has a 24-9 career record in Miami, and reached the final in 2010.
This will be a tough one for Berdych as Tomic’s variety of spins and slices will not give him any rhythm, but the Czech seems to have Tomic’s number in the head to head, has had great success in Miami and should be able to hit through the courts and impose his game.
Prediction: Berdych to win in straight sets.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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