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Where to Watch

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The winner of this match will play No. 22 seed Karen Khachanov, who has a first-round bye. Kyrgios is playing the Miami Open for the first time since 2022, missing the last two years due to injury.

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TENNIS CHANNEL LIVE: Nick Kyrgios to play first major since 2022 at Australian Open

Miami Open Match Preview

Kyrgios hasn’t won a match since 2022. But on a day that’s light on stars and top seeds, his opening-rounder with McDonald, which is third up in the Stadium, probably qualifies as the highest-profile encounter. The Australian always draws a crowd, whatever his mood, and McDonald is a popular veteran American.

Both guys are 29, but they’ve faced each other just twice. McDonald won in two sets when they met on hard courts at the Citi Open in 2021; Kyrgios won in three when they played on clay in Houston the following spring.

It’s a bit of a surprise that McDonald, the steadier baseliner of the two, would prevail on hard courts and lose on clay. But his game, as unspectacular as it might seem, can present problems for Kyrgios. His two-handed backhand is a reliable shot during rallies, and a weapon on the return. If he can use that shot to break Kygrios a couple of times, it might be enough. Winner: McDonald—Steve Tignor

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Betting Odds

McDonald is a -235 moneyline favorite; Kyrgios is a +180 underdog.

To win the first set, McDonald is -200 and Kyrgios is +140

(Odds from BetMGM as of 9:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19.)

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