TennisSection previews the 2022 Miami Open as Alexander Zverev takes on Mackenzie McDonald in the third round on Sunday, March 27th, 2022.
Alexander Zverev returned to winning ways at the Miami Open since his infamous expulsion in Acapulco. Zverev will now have his hands full against the rapidly-improving Mackenzie McDonald in their third-round match. Last time he played an American, Zverev lost in Indian Wells. So, could lightning strike twice?
Alexander Zverev overcame a stern test in Borna Coric and booked his spot in the third round of the Miami Open. The 2018 finalist was expected to boss proceedings against the Croat who only just returned to competition for the first time in a year a few weeks ago. But surprisingly, the match lived on a knife edge particularly after the counterpunching Coric managed to level the contest by grabbing the second set. But Zverev called on his superior serve to get him over the line, and he did just that in the decider. He won 84% first-serve points in the third set alone, and hammered 12 aces during the match.
Mackenzie McDonald, for his part, scored a fine win over 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov to advance into the third round of the Miami Open. For all of Dimitrov’s craft and artistry, he did not fashion a single break point in the whole match. McDonald barely needed to shift through the gears, as he returned everything thrown at him and eked out one error too many out of the Bulgarian’s racket. This marks just the second time he has won back-to-back matches on the ATP tour this season and he will face the ultimate test in the third round against Alexander Zverev.
Alexander Zverev leads the head-to-head against Mackenzie McDonald 2-0. Zverev won their most recent match on the indoor hard courts of Montpellier in straight sets. McDonald, however, thrives whilst playing on home soil as evident with that fine win over Dimitrov at the Miami Open. I do expect his return game to give Zverev all sorts of trouble. We have seen the German collapsing frequently when opponents keep nibbling at his serve. It is a long stretch, but McDonald could make things interesting if he comes out firing right out of the gate. While the obvious choice is backing Zverev (who looks far too polished in his game), the American might steal a set.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in 3 sets.
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