First of the name!

And yes, it’s the first time the two French players are facing each other in an official match. Maybe they’ve played each other somewhere else?

In any case, an interesting match-up between two guys who like American hard courts. So this is a first recorded duel between the two Frenchmen, since no official head-to-head had been noted before Miami. They do, however, belong to the same squad, the teal Tennis by Extia, which still suggests they know each other well (in my humble opinion, they’re not exactly best buddies).

So, an interesting match-up with an Arthur who’s been in very good form recently. He’s been taking out some very solid guys since Dubai and putting in good performances against the very best, as he usually does. And it’s true that this tends to fire him up, which is only logical. In Indian Wells, he also made the doubles final with his cousin Vacherot. So he arrived a bit later in Miami, but with the rain and the fact that he’s a seed, no problem. His strong first serve and his bravery in being aggressive and making multiple forays to the net could obviously bother Terence. They’re playing on Court 5, a small court, and that’s a bit less good for Terence, who loves having a lot of space behind the baseline on return. It’ll be sunny and hot today, maybe even a bit windy. The ball will travel a bit faster, but the wind can level things out. As for Terence, I saw him solid and focused against Altmaier, but the German really isn’t at the level right now. The reflection here is between Terence’s grinding game with his lefty forehand that can really bother Arthur, who doesn’t have the best movement on tour, and Arthur’s game, where he will do everything to impose his style and not let Terence settle.

From experience, I know Terence likes to have time (and space on return). Otherwise, it can really hold him back. Right now he’s in a good mood and rhythm, but Arthur is showing a higher average level.