Three to See, Miami Open Day 8: Kyrgios vs. Sinner; Osaka vs. Collins; Medvedev vs. Brooksby

WATCH: Nick Kyrgios speaks with Tennis Channel Live following his 2022 Miami Open third-round win.

Nick Kyrgios vs. Jannik Sinner

This intriguing first meeting between the Australian and the Italian was supposed to happen in Indian Wells two weeks ago, but Sinner had to pull out with an illness. He has recovered well enough to win two nail-biters in Miami, 10-8 in a third-set tiebreaker over Emil Ruusuvouri, and 7-5 in the third over Pablo Carreño Busta. If Sinner has any physical issues this time, it might be from weariness. But he’ll also have to deal with Kyrgios, who has yet to drop a set in three matches here, and is coming off a second-round demolition of No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev. Sinner will have to find a way to bother Kyrgios, either by returning his serve consistently, or not letting him take the initiative in the rallies with his forehand. If he can do either of those things often enough, the way Rafael Nadal did in Indian Wells, Sinner can disturb Kyrgios’ current sense of on-court calm. But nobody has come close to doing that in Miami yet. Winner: Kyrgios

Naomi Osaka vs. Danielle Collins

Osaka and Collins have played twice, and Osaka has emerged a straight-set winner both times; she won their first meeting, in Beijing in 2018, 6-1, 6-0. But that was well before Collins made a Grand Slam final and cracked the Top 10, both of which she has accomplished this season. Collins also made impressively routine work of 11th-ranked Ons Jabeur on Monday. All of which makes this encounter with Osaka a potentially explosive one. Both women like to attack, and neither of them are all that into defending or changing the rhythm in rallies. Who can get in the all-important first strike more often? That’s why they play the game. Winner: Osaka

Daniil Medvedev vs. Jenson Brooksby

Unorthodox will be the word of the day when these two face off for the first time. The 6'6" Medvedev’s and the 6'5" Brooksby’s games are both consistently described that way—as well as strange, tricky, funky, and unpredictable. Whatever word you want to use, both guys make it work for them. We know how good Medvedev can be, and we’re finding out, day by surprising day, how far Brooksby can take his own idiosyncratic and willful style. On Monday, down 0-4 in the third set against Roberto Bautista Agut, he reeled off six straight games for the victory. In theory, having to play again roughly 24 hours later, Brooksby should be a little tired, but we know he’ll grit his teeth and fight to overcome it. It will be interesting to see how each of these guys tries to dismantle the other, and what happens when their funky styles mesh. Winner: Medvedev