Miami Open 2019: Lacklustre Federer and spirited Medvedev to lock horns in epic fourth-round clash
It's Thursday and it's quarter-finals time here in Miami, except for the one 4th round match to be played between Swiss superstar Roger Federer and the young Russian Daniil Medvedev. This match was supposed to take place yesterday but was unfortunately postponed due to rain.
Federer, who defeated Krajinovic in the third round, will be in good shape physically after getting an extra day off to prepare for the game.
Medvedev, on the other hand, took three tough sets to see off Opelka. However, he will take heart from having survived a mammoth scare.
Federer has struggled to capitalise on the chances he has created in recent times, with a poor break point conversion rate. This has resulted in matches becoming closer than they should.
On the other hand, Medvedev too has not been struggling to play to his potential, with unsatisfactory results in both Dubai and the Indian Wells championships.
Aside from his third round match against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open where he displayed ultimate grit and perseverance, his performances have been far too underwhelming.
If Medvedev can beat Federer, it will be the biggest victory of his still nascent career and he can carry that confidence into the rest of the year.
Federer has looked vulnerable against members of the NextGen recently, losing to the likes of Coric, Zverev and Tsitsipas, which bodes well for the young Russian.
The winner of this match will face Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals. Anderson has silently climbed up the ladder and now looks in top form, having defeated Jaume Munar, Joao Sousa and Jordan Thompson en-route to the quarters.
Roger Federer vs Daniil Medvedev Prediction: Roger Federer in three sets.