Miami Open Match Preview
Not many all-teenage matchups end up as night-session openers inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. But this is a special case, for a few reasons.
First, Fonseca is an 18-year-old phenom who won 14 straight matches over the winter. That included a title at the Next Gen Finals last year, and a first-round win over Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open. Then he followed that up with another title in Buenos Aires. While the Brazilian lost badly to Jack Draper in Indian Wells, he bounced back right away with a Challenger title this past week in Phoenix.
Second, while Tien’s game isn’t as electrifying a Fonseca’s, he’s a 19-year-old American who beat Daniil Medvedev on his way to the second week in Melbourne. He also reached the title match at the Next Gen Finals, where he lost to, yes, Fonseca.
Their ages are similar, but their styles make for an interesting contrast. Fonseca blisters his forehand and backhand à la Carlos Alcaraz, while Tien massages the ball around the court and constructs his points patiently.
I’ll say that Fonseca’s winning week in Phoenix will pay dividends, confidence-wise, in this one. Winner: Fonseca—Steve Tignor
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