2024 Miami Open Tuesday SCHEDULE and PREVIEW: ALCARAZ-MUSETTI and SAKKARI-RYBAKINA among standout ties

The Last 16 being completed in the ATP side of the draw and the Quarter-Finals starting in the WTA side of the draw is the name of the game on Tuesday at the Miami Open as we head closer towards the business end. Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina in particular are in standout ties on Day Eight.

Our preview takes you through the leading talking points in all the main contests at the Miami Open and it has been a tournament full of them so far.

It all kicks off on Stadium with one of the favourites left in the hunt for glory this week in Miami as Daniil Medvedev will take on Dominik Koepfer who has been a real surprise package so far. He has taken out two of the stars of recent months in Sebastian Baez and Ugo Humbert and will now have his sights set on the latest finalist on tour and also major finalist in the World Number Four.

Victoria Azarenka knows how to win this tournament. Being technically her local tournament residing in Florida for most of her life up to this point, she is a three time champion and has navigated a tough route taking down Peyton Stearns, Qinwen Zheng and Katie Boulter. All three players who are at their best or have been in recent months. She now faces Yulia Putintseva who took advantage in particular of Aryna Sabalenka's section falling apart. She defeated the 32nd seed Anhelina Kalinina to reach the Quarter-Finals and has taken the opportunity well.

Then to end are the three top ties as Carlos Alcaraz will face Lorenzo Musetti. A potential rivalry when they came through, it was another Italian in Jannik Sinner who took the Italian king spot from Musetti and while the latter hasn't lived up to his hype, he perhaps has new freedom having just become a father and everything that brings. He will face an Alcaraz though who has been breathtakingly good. Finally finding his form again, he has transitioned superbly from Indian Wells to Miami. Albeit so did Iga Swiatek and we know how that script shook out. The Spaniard leads 2-1 in their head to head sealing the last two meetings after an early loss in the Hamburg final to Musetti.

Then it is the turn of Maria Sakkari facing Elena Rybakina. Head-to-head wise on that one, it is 2-1 to Rybakina with their last meeting coming at the WTA Finals in 2023. Albeit, it has been an interesting tournament for both. The Greek coming off her best run since winning Guadalajara last year and with a new coach has found the ingredients again seemingly. She also will be more fresher after receiving a walkover with injury to Anna Kalinskaya curtailing her tournament. Rybakina on the otherhand edged past Madison Keys, but admitted post match that she was still in pain after the illness that caused her to withdraw from Indian Wells. Part of this issue also is having stomach flu and not being able to practice for eight days. Doing a valiant job, it could come unstuck against a Sakkari on form.

Alexander Zverev takes on Karen Khachanov to complete the line-up with other ties elsewhere seeing Casper Ruud take on Nicolas Jarry, Hubert Hurkacz will face Grigor Dimitrov, Jannik Sinner won't play on the main court as he takes on Christopher O'Connell. The other two ties see Tomas Machac take on Matteo Arnaldi and Alex de Minaur will lock horns with Fabian Marozsan. The Last 16 is mostly the order of the day for Tuesday as we get the Quarter-Finals and one semi-final in the women's draw locked in.

Dominik Koepfer v (3) Daniil Medvedev

(27) Victoria Azarenka v Yulia Putintseva

(1) Carlos Alcaraz v (23) Lorenzo Musetti

(8) Maria Sakkari v (4) Elena Rybakina

(4) Alexander Zverev v (15) Karen Khachanov

Tomas Machac v Matteo Arnaldi

(7) Casper Ruud v (22) Nicolas Jarry

Christopher O'Connell v (2) Jannik Sinner

(11) Grigor Dimitrov v (8) Hubert Hurkacz

(9) Alex de Minaur v Fabian Marozsan