Schedule and Preview Miami Open 2025 Day Five: Draper, Zverev, Gauff-Sakkari and Sabalenka among highlights

Day Five of the 2025 Miami Open is here and it sees Jack Draper start his campaign and the continuation for Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. The schedule is set and our preview looks ahead to the leading talking points as the first week heads more towards a close.

Draper's tie with Mensik is very much one to watch. The Brit of course will now attract attention after his epic month or so where he reached the final of Dubai and then won Indian Wells.

But Andreeva has done similar and came out with a statement of her own last night on the WTA side, can Draper do the same. It will be markably a differing task with Mensik touted for some time as a top talent.

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He made the quarters of Shanghai and Vienna to end the season and started to force himself into the conversation. But while he was seen perhaps as the next cab off the rank, it is Draper who has made those strides. Mensik made a Quarter-Final in Brisbane, won two rounds at the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals of a Dominican Challenger. So he is sitting right where he was last season albeit just outside the top 50.

Still young albeit but the true test will be against an uber confident player in Draper.

Gauff and Sakkari renew rivalry

Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari face off again on Saturday but it is a different complexion for both going into the third round in Florida.

Gauff has been subpar this season but still finds herself up in the top five and very much still part of the tennis elite. For Sakkari, it is rebuild and rebuild only and it has taken some bumps along the way.

Sakkari was once a top five player and has big points to defend this week to stop her slumping even further. She managed to pull out two runs out of the hat in Indian Wells and Miami last season so what can she do this time. She has a 5-4 Head to Head lead over Gauff with both having some epic battles over the years.

Albeit the Greek just lost to Gauff in straight sets at Indian Wells. Sakkari is now ranked 51st and is 6-10 so far this year so different to most of their ties in the past. But can she break down the serve and forehand that has blighted Gauff so much.

Sabalenka continues run, Zverev faces Fearnley

Alexander Zverev starts proceedings off. He has been defacto top seed during these times due to Jannik Sinner's time away from the sport banned.

But Zverev could be World No.1 in reality if he just took one of his chances during the Golden Swing. It won't get much easier for him either in Miami.

He faces another Brit who will hope to emulate Jack Draper and even Emma Raducanu in some giant killing exploits. That is Jacob Fearnley who is one of the best rising stars on the tour right now.

He had one of the best win rates of any player on the ATP Tour last season and continues to rise. A giant killing all over it.

Can Fearnley emulate Draper?

Aryna Sabalenka also continues her campaign on Saturday as she faces Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Ruse was formerly a fringe top 50 player on her day but has slumped outside the top 100 and is more known these days for playing doubles with Marta Kostyuk.

But what can she do against Sabalenka. The Belarusian has been vulnerable at times but also usually has a knack of crushing title wins after disappointment. The Mirra Andreeva train doesn't seem to be stopping though so if she meets her again the intrigue will be there down the line. But usually Sabalenka produces statements and another will likely be expected here.

Finally on Stadium, it is Zheng Qinwen who will face off against Taylor Townsend. Another one that could be on upset watch given the events on Friday. Albeit Zheng now she has Pere Riba back seems to be more settled and is winning games again.

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Fonseca, Fritz, Jabeur-Paolini elsewhere

One of the games of the day on paper sees Jasmine Paolini face Ons Jabeur. A tie which in days gone by given their respective ceilings would not be for a spot in the Last 16. That opens Grandstand.

Taylor Fritz returns once more against Lorenzo Sonego before Draper. But we get a double dose of rising upstarts as Joao Fonseca then follows on the top 10 Brit facing Ugo Humbert for a spot in the third round.

Danielle Collins then follows as defending champion. She was superb in her opener and has Rebeka Masarova to contend with this time for a spot in the Last 16 as she aims to make a dent in the points scored for winning the title last season.

Leylah Fernandez is elsewhere against giant killer Ashlyn Krueger who toppled Elena Rybakina. Naomi Osaka faces Hailey Baptiste, while Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton also are involved.

An intriguing tie too is Holger Rune facing Reilly Opelka. All of this on Day Five of the Miami Open as we start to head towards the business end slowly but surely.

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