Kyrgios v Fognini – 4 stats you need to know ahead of their third-round clash at Miami

Miami Open 2022: Men’s Singles Draw | Results | Order of Play

Two of the wildest, most controversial personalities on the ATP Tour are set to lock horns on Sunday in Florida as two-time Miami Open semifinalist Nick Kyrgios and Fabio Fognini will square off for the second time. Fresh off a quarterfinal last week at Indian Wells, Kyrgios is rounding into scorching form – look no further than the Aussie’s dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory over No 5 seed Andrey Rublev on Friday for proof.

34-year-old Fognini will have his hands full with Kyrgios. The Italian improved to 7-4 on the season with his 6-7(1), 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Taro Daniel on Friday, but only three of his wins in 2022 have come on hard courts.

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Whether the Italian is playing his best tennis or not, Kyrgios knows he’ll have to expect the unexpected when facing the enigmatic Italian: “It’s a tricky one,” the Aussie told reporters on Friday. “Definitely probably two of the most unpredictable players on tour. But I played him once. Actually played him in Miami once. I kind of know what his game style is, and I had some success against him.”

Here are five things to know before Kyrgios and Fognini take the court on Sunday at the Miami Open:

1. They’ve met once before – in Miami

Kyrgios has won his only previous meeting against Fabio Fognini: it was also at the Miami Open in
2018 (6-3 6-3). Kyrgios won 54 percent of the points played in the match, despite the fact that Fognini won 18/21 first-serve points.

Kyrgios enters Sunday’s matchup ranked 102 – 82 spots behind is ranking in March of 2018. The Aussie was ranked 20 to Fognini’s 18 when they met in the third round at Miami in 2018.

2. Kyrgios served lights out on that day

In the previous meeting against Fognini, Kyrgios did not concede a single break point chance to
his opponent. The Aussie fired nine aces and won 22 of 29 first serve points to get past Fognini in one hour and six minutes. He also won over 60 percent of his second-serve points.

3. Fognini aims for his best Miami Performance

Fognini could reach the Fourth Round at the Miami Open for the third time in his career after having
done so in 2014 and 2017. That’s the deepest the former world No 9 has ever been at the Miami Open. Fognini could reach the Fourth Round in a Masters 1000 tournament on hard courts for the first time since Shanghai 2019.

4. Kyrgios loves to play in Miami

In four previous appearances at the Miami Open, Kyrgios has always reached at least the Fourth
Round. He has reached the semifinals twice at Miami, in 2016 and 2017. Kyrgios is 14-4 lifetime at the Miami Open, but he has never won a match at the event after losing the opening set. Fognini is 11-9 lifetime at Miami – his first appearance in the main draw was 2010.

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