Miami Open 2022: Karen Khachanov vs Tommy Paul preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (23) Karen Khachanov vs Tommy Paul

Date: 26 March 2022

Tournament: Miami Open

Round: Second round (Round of 64)

Venue: Miami, Florida, USA

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,584,055

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot

Karen Khachanov vs Tommy Paul preview

Karen Khachanov will take on home favorite Tommy Paul in an exciting second-round encounter at the Miami Masters on Saturday.

Khachanov, the 23rd seed, has suffered a few early exits in recent tournaments. He lost to Cameron Norrie in the second round in Rotterdam, Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships and Jenson Brooksby in his opening match at Indian Wells.

The Russian will be hoping to turn his fortunes around in Miami. But he has not enjoyed his time in the city in the past, with his best performance being a third-round appearance last year.

Paul beat Benjamin Bonzi in the first round.

Tommy Paul, meanwhile, will be looking to build on his good run of form. The American reached the quarterfinals in Acapulco and then earned the biggest win of his career by beating Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells.

He managed to carry the winning momentum to Miami, opening his campaign with a resounding 6-4, 6-4 win over Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.

Paul enjoys playing on hardcourt and could well cause a few problems for Khachanov on Saturday.

Karen Khachanov vs Tommy Paul head-to-head

This will be the first career meeting between Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Karen Khachanov vs Tommy Paul prediction

Khachanov will look to match his best showing in Miami by reaching the third round.

Both Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul possess an aggressive baseline game and will look to outmuscle the other from the back of the court.

Serving numbers will be key in the contest, especially for Khachanov, who relies on his first serve to set up the rallies in his favor. The 25-year-old served poorly in his match against Brooksby and will need to make massive improvements ahead of his clash with Paul.

Paul tends to fare well against big-hitting players, having beaten Matteo Berrettini in Acapulco in addition to Zverev. The American has the ability to redirect pace well, and he also has a potent forehand which he can use to up the ante.

This match could well go down to the wire, and given Paul's recent run of results, he might just come out on top.

Prediction: Tommy Paul to win in three sets