As the Miami Open reaches the business end of the tournament, today’s Round of 16 features two intriguing matchups in the bottom half of the draw. With Carlos Alcaraz already out of the tournament, the spotlight on Jannik Sinner has intensified, while home favorite Frances Tiafoe looks to capitalize on a wide-open bracket.
Here is everything you need to know about today’s key matches.
Jannik Sinner vs. Alex Michelsen
Time: Scheduled for 4:00 PM ET (Stadium Court)
Jannik Sinner enters this match in superb form. The Italian has yet to drop a set in Miami, extending a record-breaking streak of 26 consecutive sets won at the Masters 1000 level. He comes off a clinical 6-1, 6-4 dismantling of Corentin Moutet and is the heavy favorite to claim the title. It’s been many years since an ATP player won Indian Wells and Miami in back-to-back weeks but Sinner is now just four wins away from this achievement.
Alex Michelsen, the 21-year-old American rising star, has taken a much more difficult path to the Round of 16. He has survived back-to-back three-set marathons against Cameron Norrie and Alejandro Tabilo.
- Head-to-Head: Sinner leads 2–0. Their last meeting was at the 2024 US Open, where Sinner won in straight sets.
- The Matchup: Michelsen has a reliable serve and great court coverage, but Sinner’s baseline power is currently the gold standard in tennis. To keep this competitive, Michelsen will need to maintain a high first-serve percentage and hope the Miami humidity wears on Sinner.
Prediction: A slightly tougher test for Sinner, compared to his recent matches and Michelsen will be brave and try to attack when possible but it won’t be enough. Sinner’s consistency and return game should be too much for the young American. Expect a straight-sets win for the world No. 2.
Odds from the ATP Miami from below recommended sportsbooks:
Frances Tiafoe vs. Terence Atmane
Time: Scheduled for 7:00 PM ET (Grandstand)
Frances Tiafoe is fresh off one of the best wins of his season, having saved two match points to defeat the defending champion, Jakub Mensik, in a three-hour thriller. “Big Foe” thrives in the night-session atmosphere of Miami and will have the crowd firmly behind him.
His opponent, France’s Terence Atmane, is the surprise package of the tournament and we know he can cause big upsets. Currently ranked No. 53, Atmane just knocked out 7th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in an impressive performance. He is a dangerous left-hander and often playing with a “nothing to lose” attitude.
- Head-to-Head: Tiafoe leads 1–0. They played a tight three-setter earlier this year in Dallas, which Tiafoe won 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
- The Matchup: Both players are aggressive and like to dictate play. The key will be fatigue; Tiafoe spent nearly three hours on court yesterday, while Atmane has played three matches in four days.
Prediction: This has the potential to be the match of the day and I can see three sets again. While Atmane is in great form, Tiafoe’s experience in big matches and the home-court advantage makes him the favorite among bookies at odds 1.50 (-200). I’ll go for the Game Handicap bet on Terence Atmane (+2.5) as Tiafoe comes from a long and tough match just recently.