Miami Open 2022: Nick Kyrgios vs Adrian Mannarino preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Nick Kyrgios vs Adrian Mannarino.
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.
Nick Kyrgios vs Adrian Mannarino preview
Fresh off a quarter-final run at Indian Wells, Nick Kyrgios will lock horns with World No. 61 Adrian Mannarino in the first round of the Miami Open.
The mercurial Aussie year started off 2022 on the wrong note. Kyrgios' asthma flared up, and he also tested positive for COVID-19, prompting him to pull out of tournaments in Melbourne and Sydney in the lead-up to the Australian Open.
The former World No. 13 crashed out in the second round of his home Slam, but bounced back at the Indian Wells Masters. The 26-year-old won his first three rounds without dropping a set, with one of the wins coming against eighth seed Casper Ruud.
Seeds in our Men's Singles Draw! 
@atptour Your Top 🎱 Seeds in our Men's Singles Draw! 👊
Find the Full Draw below ⤵️ @atptour
miamiopen.com/draws/ https://t.co/ewO9asIBCO
Jannik Sinner then gave him a walkover into the last eight, where he stretched eventual runner-up Rafael Nadal to three sets.
Kyrgios will be keen to build on that impressive run at the Miami Masters.
World No. 61 Adrian Mannarino's season, meanwhile, has been highly inconsistent. He started the year with back-to-back first-round losses in Melbourne and Sydney before charging into the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The Frenchman carried that momentum into his next three tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals at Montpellier, Dallas and Delray Beach.
Mannarino once again hit a stumbling block, losing his openers in his next two tour-level events at Acapulco and Indian Wells.
The only win the southpaw has managed in the last month was at the Davis Cup Qualifiers, where he needed three sets to see off World No. 381 Roberto Quiroz.
Nick Kyrgios vs Adrian Mannarino head-to-head
Kyrgios and Mannarino haven't squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Nick Kyrgios vs Adrian Mannarino prediction
The two players are at the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as current form is concerned. While Kyrgios has shown a resurgence of late, Mannarino has spiraled into a slump once again, making the World No. 102 the favorite to come through this contest.
The Aussie comes into this encounter high on confidence after a promising showing against Nadal. Kyrgios slammed 12 aces and had an outstanding 89% win rate on second serve against the Spaniard.
@NickKyrgios 
week away from the 2022 #MiamiOpen! Grab your tickets to watch the electric Aussie at @HardRockStadium Talk about a walking highlight reel 😱 @NickKyrgios
We're officially ☝️ week away from the 2022 #MiamiOpen! Grab your tickets to watch the electric Aussie at @HardRockStadium ⤵️
Kyrgios ripped winners with his powerful forehand from every part of the court and should be raring to go in this match. However, he needs to be wary of the variety that Mannarino can bring to the court.
The Frenchman has a lot of subtle touches and likes to mix things up. Mannarino also has fantastic speed and movement and will look to make forays into the net whenever he senses the opportunity.
But if Kyrgios keeps his cool, he shouldn't have too much of a problem getting past Mannarino.
Prediction: Nick Kyrgios to win in straight sets.