The singles action at the Miami Open will end today, with 1st seed Novak Djokovic taking on 6th seed Kei Nishikori for the title. This match is set to take place at 13:00 Miami Time (18:00 UK Time), with Djokovic looking for a record 28th Masters 1000 title, and Nishikori looking for his first.
It is Djokovic who has had the easier road to the final; the defending champion is yet to drop a set in Miami. His most tricky match was arguably his semi-final win against David Goffin, where he still impressed, and he also impressed against the likes of Dominic Thiem and Tomas Berdych; there is no doubt that Djokovic is the favourite coming into this. Nishikori has also played well so far, impressing in wins over the likes of Nick Kyrgios in the semi-final and Roberto Bautista Agut in the 4th round. However he had to save five match points against Gael Monfils in the quarter-final, and will need to hope that hasn’t taken too much out of him.
It is certainly Djokovic has the stronger game and he will be looking to use that to full effect this evening. The Serbian should look to serve well against Nishikori, who can be a good returner, and should try to dictate play against the Japanese star, who has an improving overall game. Djokovic should also look to try and defend well, as he could frustrate Nishikori and get the 6th seed to make mistakes on key points. Returning well could also be important for the 1st seed. For Nishikori, serving will be crucial, and he must look to try and return well, especially if he gets a good opportunity on second serves. The 6th seed should also look to try and finish points off as quickly as possible, and must look to try and break down Djokovic’s game as much as possible.
Djokovic leads the head to head 6-2 and has won their past two meetings comfortably, though they have had some tough matches in the past. Nishikori is capable of pushing Djokovic and could has a chance today, though the Serb has played very well in Miami and it’s hard to see him losing here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
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