RICKY’S PREVIEW AND PICK FOR ROGER FEDERER VS. DEL POTRO IN MIAMI OPEN TENNIS 2017

Written by: Staff on 26th March 2017

RICKY'S PREVIEW AND PICK FOR ROGER FEDERER VS. DEL POTRO IN MIAMI OPEN TENNIS 2017

epa05871029 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in action against Robin Haase of the Netherlands during their second round match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2017. EPA/RHONA WISE |

By Ricky Dimon

Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro will be facing each other for the 21st time in their careers and for the first time in more than three years when they meet again in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday.

Federer is leading the head-to-head series 15-5, but it is a more competitive 10-5 on hard courts. After losing three straight matches against Del Potro during a stretch from 2012 to 2013, the Swiss got the job done 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 at the 2013 Paris Indoors and shortly thereafter at the World Tour Finals in London (4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5).

Fast forward to 2017 and Federer is still in full flight at 35 years old. In fact, he is arguably playing some of the best tennis of his amazing career at the moment. The Swiss captured his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and is coming off another triumph in Indian Wells. Federer is 14-1 in 2017 following a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Frances Tiafoe on Saturday afternoon.

This marks another terrible draw for Del Potro, who is under-ranked at No. 34 and thus seeded lower than he should be at just about every event that he plays. The former world No. 4 fell to Novak Djokovic in the Acapulco second round and the Indian Wells third round, and now it is Federer who stands in his way in advance of the last 16 in Miami. Del Potro bearned his place in this contest by defeating Robin Haase 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday.

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts against Frances Tiafoe of the US during day five of the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2017. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

“I would love to play against him,” Federer said of the 2009 U.S. Open champion before the match against Haase had occured. “I’m happy for him with his comeback, winning at Davis Cup. I should have played him here last year but I was sick. That was a pity.

“It’s better to play him his time around when we’re both better. He was also just on the comeback last year. We’ve had some epic matches against each other: semis at the French (in 2009); Olympic semis (in 2012); finals at the U.S. Open (2009). You name it–we’ve had some really good ones. I’m sure the crowd would love to see it.”

Although the South American-heavy crowd in Miami does love Del Potro, Federer’s fan support at this tournament–and every other–is second to none. The fans will likely be treated to another victory, too, because Federer is still hitting his backhand better and more consistently than at any point since his relative slump began in 2013.

Taking the ball early, the No. 4 seed should be able to dictate most of the baseline rallies and keep the ball just enough to Del Potro’s vulnerable backhand in order to prevail.

Pick: Federer in 2