TennisSection previews the 2021 Miami Open as David Goffin (8) meets James Duckworth in the Second Round on Friday March 26th, 2021.
Can the unseeded Australian James Duckworth cause the stunning upset over the much higher-ranked David Goffin? The Belgian has not been as consistent recently; does this perhaps open the door slightly for his opponent? Anything can happen here at the 2021 Miami Open and we have seen numerous upsets so far this season, will this be yet another one?
David Goffin is currently ranked #13 in the ATP world rankings, and is edging closer to a return to the top 10. The former world number 7 has had a slow start to the 2021 season, with a modest 9-6 record on the year. After a strong start to the year by winning the Open Sud de France, he has failed to win more than one match at any of his past four tournaments. Consistency at tournaments is usually his strong suit, but he is going through a serious rough patch and will be hoping to turn his season around. Despite all his recent struggles, he enters this match as the firm favorite, and #104 ranked James Duckworth may be just the opponent he needs to build some confidence here at the 2021 Miami Open.
James Duckworth has been mainly playing on the Challenger Tour of late, and is currently ranked at #104 in the world. Formerly ranked as high as #71, he will be hoping for a good week here in his attempt to get back into the top 100. He was not given a very kind draw however, with David Goffin being a very strong opponent. Despite the huge difference in their rankings, Duckworth will take confidence in the fact that his opponent is going through a very poor run of form, and has been upset before in big tournaments. That being said, Goffin is still a top 15 player and Duckworth will be up against it here. He is a fighter, but knows that he will have to play one of the best matches of his life here at the 2021 Miami Open.
The two men have never faced each other on the ATP Tour, and their head to head currently stands at 0-0. Despite Goffin’s recent struggles, I am going with him to grind out a victory here. He is clearly low on confidence, but James Duckworth won’t blow him off the court, so he will have some time to work himself into the match and figure things out. Goffin is still a top 15 player, and upsetting them in these big tournaments is a very difficult feat. It won’t be pretty, but expect David Goffin to advance to the Third Round here at the 2021 Miami Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: David Goffin to win.
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