ATP Masters in Miami, 2nd Round, Friday, 25.03.2022
From a German point of view, the hopes for the Miami Open 2022 rest on Alexander Zverev, of course, but what do his teammates perform? One of them has already made it past the 1st round and now moves on as an underdog.
On Friday it’s number 74 against number 24: Number 74 against number 24. It is no surprise that the betting companies are clearly in favour of the better-placed player. Read my Otte Monfils tip to find out why I don’t expect it to be a one-sided affair!
Who is she now, the German number 2 behind Alexander Zverev? From tournament to tournament, it’s someone else who manages convincing performances. Oscar Otte has big things in store for him at the Miami Open 2022.
The 28-year-old is playing in the main draw for the first time and has mastered round 1 well right from the start. In his 6-3, 6-4 over American Mitchell Krueger, Otte benefited from his service game and cleared great statistics in that area.
He won 97% of his first serve points and did not allow a single break, which is something he has to take into the second round, where his opponent will be much tougher. The German had already shown in Indian Wells that he is a force to be reckoned with.
He lost in the 2nd round 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, but against a Hubert Hurkacz such a result is not a disaster. By the way, he only had four break opportunities against him here as well, but the Pole was too strong on serve himself.
Pablo Carreno Busta, Cameron Norrie or Lorenzo Sonego at the Australian Open, Otte has been keeping up with the top players since his brilliant US Open 2020. However, he won’t be surprised to be the clear underdog on Friday.
Odds of 4.00 are no exception with German bookmakers. Of course, he will know that his opponent is clearly above him in the world rankings. Gael Monfils is experiencing his second spring, could soon slip back into the top 20.
It has been 16 years since the Frenchman made his debut at the Miami Open, and now he is making his comeback after a six-year break. On Friday we will see him on court for the first time, as he started with a walk-through.
The big question will be: How are his performances from Indian Wells to be judged? A 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Daniil Medvedev is strong at first glance, but it should not hide the fact that the Russian had a very bad day.
Monfils had 14 break chances alone, which probably only happens once a year with Medvedev. The veteran also had no chance against Carlos Alcaraz, especially at 1-6 in the second set.
Before that, the 35-year-old had lost directly to Mikael Ymer at the Open Sud, which also showed that his performance often fluctuates. With a 1.25, he is the absolute top favourite against Oscar Otte, the two are playing each other for the first time.
My Otte Monfils tip
Gael Monfils is rightly the favourite against Oscar Otte after the last few months, but I wouldn’t give the German too little credit. He is also getting stronger and stronger against big opponents.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t put it past Otte to put the favourite in a tough match.
So my tip: We’ll see at least 20 games!
