Miami Open 2022: Matteo Berrettini vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo preview, head-to-head and prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Matteo Berrettini vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Date: 25 March 2022.
Tournament: Miami Open.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: Miami, Florida, USA.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,584,055.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot.
Matteo Berrettini vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo preview
Fourth seed Matteo Berrettini will take on Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the Miami Open on Friday.
The Italian did not have the best of starts to 2022 as he won just one out of his three singles matches at the ATP Cup. However, he followed this up with a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in four sets.
Berrettini then entered the Rio Open as the top seed and reached the quarterfinals before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian then competed at the Mexican Open in Acapulco as the fifth seed but retired hurt during his opening match against Tommy Paul.
Berrettini was seeded sixth at the Indian Wells Masters and reached the fourth round following wins over Holger Rune and Lloyd Harris. However, he was stunned by Miomir Kecmanovic.
Huge upset in Indian Wells! đŸ˜®
Miomir Kecmanovic downs seed No.6 Matteo Berrettini 6-3 6-7 6-4 to take a spot in @BNPPARIBASOPEN quarter-finals https://t.co/2BlJNmNAxn
Meanwhile, Manuel Cerundolo started 2022 at the Adelaide International 1 and reached the second round after beating Alex Bolt. However, he was beaten by top seed and eventual champion Gael Monfils. The Argentine was unable to qualify for the main draw of the Adelaide International 2 and also lost in the first round of the Australian Open.
Manuel Cerundolo suffered a couple more first-round exits at the Chile Open and the Indian Wells Masters.
The Argentine faced Dusan Lajovic in the opening round of the Miami Open. He played well and beat the Serb 6-3, 7-5 to reach the second round of a Masters 1000 competition for the first time in his career.
Brothers Go Back-to-Back!
The CerĂºndolo Brothers make it 2 for 2 in Miami, as JuanMa CerĂºndolo follows his older brother Francisco into round 2.
Cerundolo surprises Dusan Lajovic, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a clash w/ Matteo Berrettini.
Congrats to @juanmacerundolo AND @FranCerundolo! https://t.co/clScV0AUqJ
Matteo Berrettini vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo head-to-head
Friday's match in Miami will be the very first meeting between Berrettini and Manuel Cerundolo, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
The winner of this match will take on either Frances Tiafoe or Brandon Nakashima in the third round.
Matteo Berrettini vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo prediction
Berrettini will enter this match as the heavy favorite to win given his ranking. However, apart from his run to the semifinals of the Australian Open, the Italian has not been very consistent over the past few months.
Nevertheless, Berrettini is among the strongest servers on tour and will look to put pressure on Manuel Cerundolo with his serve and strong forehand. His sliced backhand will come in handy to dictate the pace of the match, especially in long rallies.
The left-handed Manuel Cerundolo is a counterpuncher and will no doubt resort to this to cope with Berrettini's aggression. The 20-year-old isn't the most powerful hitter, but his groundstrokes are quite accurate and deep.
The Argentine is a fine young prospect with a bright future ahead but he may not have enough to get the better of Berrettini on Friday.
Prediction: Matteo Berrettini to win in straight sets.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Results