Also on Friday, Sofia Kenin will compete for the first time since having appendix surgery last month in Melbourne. And Bianca Andreescu will play in only her fourth event since October of 2019. On the men’s side, top seed Daniil Medvedev and third-seeded Sascha Zverev will make their 2021 Miami Open debuts, both coming off title runs earlier this month. But the day’s most intriguing matches feature two Americans who pulled off comeback victories on Wednesday night: Sloane Stephens and Frances Tiafoe.
Throughout this event, the women’s singles draw will be one day ahead of the men’s. On Friday, the women’s bottom half completes second round action, while the men’s top half begins second round play.
Each day this preview will analyze the two most prominent matches, and note the other intriguing matchups on the day’s schedule. Friday’s play will begin at 11:00am local time.
Amanda Anisimova (28) vs. Sloane Stephens – Not before 3:00pm on Butch Buchholz
It’s the 2018 Miami champion against a fellow American and Florida resident, who is also one of the WTA’s most promising teenagers. 19-year-old Anisimova broke through in 2019 by reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros. Amanda was forced to miss the Australian Open last month due to a positive COVID test, so she’s only played two tour-level matches this season. Stephens also arrived at this event without momentum, going nearly six months without winning a match. But pulling out a tough victory in the first round over Oceane Dodin might have been crucial in turning her season around. And Sloane loves playing in North America, where five of her six career titles have been earned. Stephens’ experience, and Anisimova’s recent lack of match play, make the 2018 champion the favorite in their first career meeting.
Dan Evans (19) vs. Frances Tiafoe – Not before 7:00pm on Court 1
Since returning from a drug suspension in 2018, Evans has steadily improved his game. He’s now the No.1 ranked man from Great Britain, and recently won his first career title in Melbourne. Tiafoe is best known for his thrilling run to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Australian Open, but has almost as many losses as wins over the last few seasons. Evans leads their head-to-head 2-1, with all three matches contested on hard courts. In their most recent encounter, last October in Antwerp, Evans prevailed in straight sets. The Brit has been the more reliable performer, and should advance on Friday. But if Tiafoe can bring the same level he attained when pushing Novak Djokovic to four sets last month in Melbourne, he certainly has enough fire power to pull off the upset.
Other Notable Matches on Friday:
Four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka (2) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic, a 27-year-old Australian who nearly defeated Simona Halep last month in Melbourne.
2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin (4) vs. Andrea Petkovic, who is a two-time semifinalist in Miami.
2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu (8) vs. Tereza Martincova (Q), who came through qualifying and has already won three matches this week, all in straight sets.
Recent Marseille champion Daniil Medvedev (1) vs. Yen-Hsun Lu, a 37-year-old who was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2010.
Recent Acapulco champion Sascha Zverev (3) vs. Emil Ruusuvuori, a 21-year-old from Finland who on Wednesday outlasted another rising youngster, Carlos Alcaraz.
And in a star-studded first round women’s doubles match, Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep.
Friday’s full Order of Play is here.
