Three to See, Miami Open Day 7: Collins vs. Jabeur; Fritz vs. Paul; Badosa vs. Fruhvirtova

WATCH: Taylor Fritz speaks with Tennis Channel following his 2022 Miami Open second-round win.

Danielle Collins vs. Ons Jabeur

There’s a lot to look forward to in this 11 a.m. early-bird special. First, we’ll see a contrast in game styles: Collins is a single-minded slugger who loves nothing more than to let her two-handed backhand fly crosscourt; Jabeur loves nothing more than to suddenly cut under her backhand and send a viciously spinning drop shot within an inch or two of the net. Second, we’ll see a battle of equals, at least on paper: Jabeur is ranked 10th, Collins 11th, and they’ve split their two previous meetings. Collins has had the better season so far; she made the Australian Open final, while Jabeur has yet to make it out of the quarterfinals at any event. Which makes me think the Tunisian is due to break that streak. Winner: Jabeur

Taylor Fritz vs. Tommy Paul

These two 24-year-old besties grew up together and have been playing each other for a decade and a half; but they’ve faced off just twice as pros. Both matches happened last year, both were on hard courts, and Fritz and Paul each won of them. Their stars have been on the rise over the last six months, though Fritz’s has risen a little higher lately; after his title in Indian Wells, he’s ranked a career-high No. 13, while Paul is a still-respectable No. 37. Most important, perhaps, is that each of them is learning how to win the close matches that used to slip away. This week Paul beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 in the third set, while Fritz fought off a pesky Mikhail Kukushkin in three. When two friends meet, results can get random, and you can kind of throw out recent form. But I’ll take Fritz’s power over Paul’s speed. Winner: Fritz

Paula Badosa vs. Linda Fruhvirtova

You don’t need to spend much time wondering whether these two have played in the past, because the 16-year-old Fruhvirtova had never played, let alone beaten, anyone in the Top 25 before this week. Now she has wins over two of them, Elise Mertens and Victoria Azarenka. Fruhvirtova is a fresh new face, but she has a classic 21st-century WTA game: She hits hard, competes fiercely, and has a locked-in two-handed backhand. It was enough to drive Azarenka off the court in the middle of the second set on Sunday. But now Fruhvirtova will have to make a leap, past the Top 25 and into the Top 5, which is where Badosa resides. The Spaniard is the second-highest seed left, and if she reaches the semifinals, she’ll move up to No. 2 in the rankings for the first time. When Fruhvirtova sends the pace at her, I’m guessing Badosa will send back even more. Winner: Badosa