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Cypriot hero Marcos Baghdatis will take on Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster second round match at the ATP Masters Series event in Miami.
Baghdatis will probably never return to his old Top 10 level of tennis, but nevertheless he is having a great year so far. The Cypriot is in very good form right now, winning 9 of his last 10 matches. He reached the final in Dubai (lost to Wawrinka), won 4 consecutive Davis Cup singles matches (against weak opposition) and defeated Benjamin Becker in the first round here in Miami. It was a 6-4 6-3 win for the Cypriot, slightly more difficult than the score suggests, but still pretty straightforward.
Nick Kyrgios was having an excellent year prior to suffering a back injury in Dubai, in a semifinal against Wawrinka. The Australian was riding an 8 match winning streak going into that match (including a title run in Montpellier), but was forced to retire and went on to perform very poorly in his next match against Ramos in Indian Wells. The 6-7 5-7 loss to a clay courter like Ramos was not a good sign for Nick, who will hope to improve his level here in Miami – but the main question is if his back is 100% Ok. Kyrgios had a bye in the first round.
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This will be the first meeting between Baghdatis and Kyrgios. Both players like the surface and nobody holds a style / matchup advantage over the other.
Both players showed some really good tennis this season, but at the moment Baghdatis is more stable – mainly because of Nick’s injury in Dubai. The Australian looked really bad last week in Indian Wells and he will need a significand improvement if he is to defeat Baghdatis. Sure, if Nick brings his “A game” he would be a favorite in this match, but that’s a big “if”.
Odds are crazy low on Kyrgios and it’s no wonder that they are going up quickly. Baghdatis is playing some solid tennis this year, he`s in fantastic form and he has wins over Goffin, Bautista Agut or Lopez in the last few weeks – so he definitely has what it takes to beat Nick.
It`s tempting to bet an over or a handicap on Baghdatis, but both these players can be inconsistent, so I reckon it’s better to go with the best value. My tip is Baghdatis to win and I expect the odds on the Cypriot to continue dropping. If Kyrgios is not at his best, Baghdatis should win. Prediction: Marcos Baghdatis – Nick Kyrgios 7-5 7-5.
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Pick: Baghdatis
Odds: 3.25 @ Unibet
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 15.75
Event date: 26 March
