Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov: ATP Miami Masters – Round of 16

Two of the tallest players on the tour will face each other in the round of 16 of ATP Miami Masters.

Alexander Zverev Profile

Alexander Zverev is fifth in the ATP rankings and is getting closer to his career high, No. 2 in the world. The Germans are 16-5 for the season, with all of the matches played on hard surfaces.

Zverev is coming off a 7-6, 6-3 win over Christopher Eubanks in the third round. Previously, he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-4.

Last week in Indian Wells, Zverev made it to the quarterfinals, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. His best result of the season was the semifinal at the Australian Open.

This is the ninth time Zverev is playing in Miami, and his best result is the 2018 final.

Karen Khachanov Profile

Karen Khachanov is currently 16^th in the ATP rankings and his career-high is No. 8 in the world. The Russian is 12-6 for the season and 10-5 on hard surface.

Khachanov is coming off a 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 third round win over Francisco Cerundolo. Previously, he defeated Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4.

Last week in Indian Wells, Khachanov lost his first match against Thiago Seyboth Wild. Earlier this year, Khachanov won the title in Doha which is his sixth career ATP title.

His best result in Miami is the last year’s semifinal where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.

Head-to-Head Zverev leads 3-2

• Zverev vs Khachanov 6-3, 6-1 (2021 Olympics, final)
• Khachanov vs Zverev 6-3, 6-3 (2019 ATP Montreal, quarterfinal)
• Khachanov vs Zverev 6-1, 6-2 (2018 Paris Masters, quarterfinal)
• Zverev vs Khachanov 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 (2018 French Open, round of 16)
• Zverev vs Khachanov 7-6, 6-4 (2016 Saint Petersburg, first round)

Prediction and Conclusion

Both players are having a promising season. Khachanov has already won a title this season, while Zverev is still waiting for his first one after winning in Chengde last year. Zverev has had a better tournament so far, winning both matches in straight sets, while Khachanov barely made it into the decisive tiebreak in the last round. However, Khachanov knows how to play against Zverev and will stand a chance in this match. Both players have excellent serves, and that will take the match to over 22.5 games in total.