The Miami Open is on the cusp of beginning, and tennis fans are waiting to watch the second half of the Sunshine Doubles continue. The first round pits Gael Monfils against Dušan Lajović. Both players have shown good performances in the last few months, and they aim to overcome one another to move further into the Miami Open.

The tournament in Florida has always been an exciting affair. However, for some players, it is an opportunity to boost their standings at the table. The Frenchman currently has better momentum, but it will be a close match. 

Gael Monfils vs Dušan Lajović: Preview

Monfils began 2024 in the ASB Classics as he was eliminated in the first round. In the Australian Open, he would perform slightly better as he managed to move to round two before being eliminated by Tomás Martín Etcheverry. Open Sud De France would again have him leave the tournament in the first round, with another second-round exit in the ATP Rotterdam, this time losing to Jannik Sinner. 

He managed to go deep in the Qatar Open as he played till the semifinal. In Dubai, Monfils would again lose in the first round, this time to Ugo Humbert. In the Indian Wells Masters, he managed to last till round 4, to be eliminated by Casper Ruud. 

Lajović began 2024 with a second-round exit in the Adelaide International and a first-round exit in the Australian Open. He fared much better in Argentina, running till the quarterfinal, before losing to Facundo Diaz Acosta. He would meet the same fate in the Rio Open, to be ousted by another Argentinian, this time Francisco Cerundolo. 

In the Mexico Open, Lajović would lose to Casper Ruud in round two and would have the same exit in the Indian Wells Masters, this time against Frances Tiafoe. 

Monfils vs Lajović: Head-to-Head

The two players have fought against each other in two competitions. Their first match took place in Buenos Aires in 2018, where Monfils would prove to be difficult for the Serb. The first set began with Monfils taking the lead quickly to end the set 6-3. In the second set, Lajović would manage to give a tough fight to the Frenchman, but he would not take the lead, and Monfils would win their first match 6-3, 6-4.  

Their next meeting would take place in the 2021 Cincinnati Masters. This time, Lajović would push Monfils as the first set went to a tiebreaker, which was won by the French entertainer. The second set would sail much more smoothly for Monfils, as he managed to win and move on to the round of 32. The final score would be 7-6, 6-2. 

Prediction: Monfils to win the bout

While both players have not had much different tracks in 2024, Monfils has been better at shutting down his opponents in the season. He is set to take the win and move ahead to round 2 of the championship, leaving Lajović to mend his wounds. However, the bout will not be an easy one, and Monfils will have to go all guns blazing to make sure victory falls his way.

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