Jannik Sinner vs Hubert Hurkacz: Miami Open 2021 Final Prediction | Preview | H2H Analysis

It is a blockbuster battle between two Next-Gen stars as the 21st seed Jannik Sinner takes on the 26th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the finals of the Miami Open. 

Jannik Sinner overcame the 7th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in a three-set thriller in the semifinals. Trailing after losing the first set 5-7, the Italian bounced back strongly to win the next two sets 6-4 6-4 against the Spaniard. 

Sinner smashed 5 aces, hit a whopping 37 winners, and clinched 65% of his first-serve points.

Hubert Hurkacz maintained his unbeaten record against the fourth seed Andrey Rublev dispatching the Russian 6-3 6-4. 

The Polish player fired 8 aces, pounded 25 winners, and claimed 75% of his first-serve points to storm into the finals.

Head to Head Record

This is the first-ever meeting between Sinner and Hurkacz on the ATP Tour.

"Jannik is a great person, super calm and super chill, the results that he is having is obviously because of his hard work, we played doubles together two weeks ago in Dubai, now we are playing in the final of a Masters 1000 event, so it is going to be a fun match.” said Hurkacz praising Sinner ahead of the challenging clash in the finals. 

Key Insights

• Both Sinner and Hurkacz are playing in the Miami Open finals for the first time in their careers.
• Interestingly, Sinner and Hurkacz played doubles together in the Adelaide Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February and March this year.
• Sinner is the fourth teenager to reach the Miami Masters finals in the last 36 years after legends like Andre Agassi (1990), Rafael Nadal (2005), and Novak Djokovic (2007). The Italian is making his debut in the hardcourt tournament.
• Hurkacz has defeated four higher-ranked seeds in a row.
• If Sinner wins against Hurkacz, he will win his second ATP title this season after clinching the Great Ocean Road Open, Melbourne Park in February.
• A victory for Sinner would help him grab his third ATP singles title.
• Hurkacz would also win a second ATP title this year if he defeats Sinner in the finals. He won the Delray Beach Open in January.
• Sinner is also the first Italian to reach the Miami Open finals.
• Sinner who was ranked 322 two years ago has risen up the charts to become the World number 31 now.
• Hurkacz has not lost a single match (9-0 win-loss record) in Florida in 2021.
• Sinner would move to the 14th ranked position after the finals.
• Hurkacz is the first Polish player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 finals since Jerzy Janowicz reached the Paris Masters finals in 2012.

Game Analysis

Sinner has impressed with his composure against higher-ranked players. The Italian youngster relies on his powerful groundstrokes, a big serve, and a potent cross-court backhand to control the rallies and take a lot of points. His returns come deep and with a clever variation in pace to unsettle the opponents.

With a towering height of 6'5", Hurkacz can hit aces in double digits with ease. The Pole has a solid backhand which forces his opponents to play defensive tennis. Hurkacz is also effective in his second serve and can hit forehand winners by charging to the net consistently. 

The Polish player has adopted a vegan diet for the past two years and the positive results seem to be showing now. 

Sinner can save breakpoints and set points effectively with his clutch tennis. He will be a bit concerned about the large number of unforced errors that he commits usually in the opening set of every match. 

If Hurkacz manages to break Sinner's serve frequently in the first set, he could run away with the match. With both players featuring in the most prestigious finals of their career, the battle could be decided by the consistency from the baseline. 

Prediction - Jannik Sinner to win in three sets against Hubert Hurkacz and clinch the Miami Open