TennisSection previews the 2022 Miami Open as Pablo Carreno Busta takes on David Goffin in the second round on Friday, March 25th, 2022.
Pablo Carreno Busta makes his first trip in four years to the Miami Open. But his form is not the best coming to the tournament. Will he fall victim to David Goffin, who is also looking to eradicate his bad form in 2022?
Pablo Carreno Busta last played at the Miami Open in 2018. He reached the semifinals back then, losing to Alexander Zverev in straight sets. Carreno Busta had a great year in 2021, such as clinching the bronze medal at the Olympics and winning two ATP titles. He hauled himself to within the Top 20 in the ATP rankings. The Spaniard carried that momentum to the new season where he guided Spain to a runner-up finish at the ATP Cup before going on to make the fourth round of the Australian Open. But his form since leaving Melbourne has not been remotely similar to what is expected of him. He has only managed one win at three tournaments and arrives in Miami on the back of a frustrating three-set defeat to compatriot Jaume Munar at Indian Wells.
David Goffin, meanwhile, is still targeting a return to the world’s Top 50 after a turbulent year on the ATP Tour. Goffin was forced to shut down his 2021 season prematurely due to injury and he has looked far from his best in the current season. Last week he went to play the Phoenix Challenger in order to restore some semblance of confidence and boost his ranking a little bit. He was able to string a couple of consecutive wins before bowing out in the quarterfinals against Liam Broady. The former World No. 7 kicked off his Miami Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-3 win over Roberto Carballes Baena and plays another Spaniard in the second round.
The head-to-head between Pablo Carreno Busta and David Goffin is tied at 2-2. But they haven’t faced each other since 2019 where the Belgian won their first-round match in Tokyo in three sets. A lot has happened since then, with Goffin very much in his first phase of decline. Carreno Busta, meanwhile, is looking relatively healthy and playing top-level tennis. I think Goffin’s rally tolerance has gone down markedly. And I think that has to do with his recent knee injury, he is playing very cautious tennis. If this turns out to be a war of attrition from the baseline, Carreno Busta should have the fresher legs to outmaneuver the Belgian World No. 70.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Pablo Carreno to win in straight sets.
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