2020 ATP Miami Open fantasy tennis: Top Aussie out, but other trio advance

NICK Kyrgios was one of the biggest shock losses in the first round of the Miami Open ATP Tour’s fantasy tennis tournament. The top 50 ranked Australian bowed out to an American wildcard teenager in Brandon Nakashima. While Kyrgios departed earlier than expected, compatriots John Millman, James Duckworth and Thanasi Kokkinakis all advanced through to the Round of 64.

Nakashima showed the talent he has been brewing for a while, and only stepping on the senior professional tour this year, has brought promise to the future of American tennis. He knocked out Kyrgios in three sets, keeping his calm after a shocking second set to win 6-4 0-6 6-3 in an hour and 46 minutes. Millman got up over Japanese wildcard, Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-2 2-6 6-2, as James Duckworth got through qualifying and downed another wildcard in top 100 talent, Frances Tiafoe 6-3 2-6 6-4. Kokkinakis is on the comeback trail from injury, and he claimed the most impressive win of all, taking out fellow qualifier but top 100 up-and-comer Soonwoo Kwon, 6-3 6-2.

There were a number of familiar faces advancing after gaining wildcards to the event with former top 10 stars Andy Murray and Kevin Anderson trouncing their opponents. Murray completely took Sam Querrey to town in Querrey’s home country, not letting him win a game in a 40-minute rout, while Anderson took out Joao Sousa, 6-2 6-4. J.J. Wolf was another American wildcard who survived the first round with an upset 6-2 6-2 win over Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino, while qualifiers, Frenchman Gregoire Barrere and Finn Emil Ruusuvuori both won through to the second round.

The longest match of the day was between Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber with the two counter punchers going at it for two and a half hours. In the end it was Ramos-Vinolas who got up 2-6 6-4 7-6, winning the exciting prize of having to play world number one Novak Djokovic in the second round. Another classic contest between two talented youngsters was Tommy Paul‘s win over Jannik Sinner, claiming victory in two hours and 10 minutes, 6-4 2-6 6-3 over the Next Gen Finals winner. Other winners on day two were United States’ Reilly Opelka, Norway’s Casper Ruud, Slovenia’s Alijaz Bedene, and Spanish duo, Pablo Andujar and Fernando Verdasco.

Among the highly anticipated matches on day three, in-form Canadian wildcard Vasek Pospisil has a crack at fifth seed Greek, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and recovering Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga drawing 10th seed Italian Fabio Fognini in the Round of 64.

ROUND OF 128 RESULTS:

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 2-6 6-4 7-6
John Millman (AUS) defeated [WC] Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-2 2-6 6-2
Reilly Opelka (USA) defeated [WC] Denis Kudla (USA) 6-3 6-1
Casper Ruud (NOR) defeated [WC] Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-0 7-6
[Q] James Duckworth (AUS) defeated [WC] Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3 2-6 6-4
[Q] Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) defeated [Q] Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 6-3 6-2
Tommy Paul (USA) defeated Jannik Sinner (ITA) 6-4 2-6 6-3
[WC] Brandon Nakashima (USA) defeated Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 6-4 0-6 6-3
[Q] Gregoire Barrere (FRA) defeated Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 6-2 6-3
Alijaz Bedene (SLO) defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 3-6 6-3 6-3
Pablo Andujar (ESP) defeated [WC] Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 6-4 7-6
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) defeated Guido Pella (ARG) 6-1 2-6 7-6
[WC] J.J. Wolf (USA) defeated Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-2 6-2
[WC] Andy Murray (GBR) defeated Sam Querrey (USA) 6-0 6-0
[Q] Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) defeated Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 7-6 2-6 6-2
[WC] Kevin Anderson (RSA) defeated Joao Sousa (POR) 6-2 6-4

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