The Hard Rock Stadium will welcome the #MiamiOpen for the first time in history as the tournament shifts to a new venue in a historic move. Defending champion Sloane Stephens and world number one Naomi Osaka headline the draw, which only notable absentee is Maria Sharapova.
Five women are in contention to run away with the number one ranking after the two-week tournament and several women have the chance to make their top-10 debut as well.
After the fantastic tournament in Indian Wells, all eyes are now in Miami where the second stretch of the March tennis madness continues. Bianca Andreescu rocketed her way up in the rankings and is unseeded despite her ranking of 24 due to the nature of the draw. Nonetheless, can the Canadian continue her outrageous run and complete the rare “Sunshine Double”, a feat only a couple of women achieved in the past?
The WTA season already saw 13 tournaments done and dusted. However, we still do not have a two-time champion as we saw 13 different women lift up the trophies. Will a 14th women lift the Miami title or will any of those 13 players find repeated success?
Top seed Osaka has a relatively favourable draw while Petra Kvitova looks to overcome her drought in Miami with a good run this year. How will the new court surface work out in the new environment? Will the hard-hitters or counterpunchers flourish? We are only certain that high-quality tennis will come in the next two weeks.
First Section: Osaka and Muguruza set to battle it out
Top seed #NaomiOsaka will begin her Miami campaign against a qualifier after being handed a rather soft draw. The Japanese, the winner of the Australian Open this year, will look to shake off negative vibes from her fourth-round loss in Indian Wells last week and it seems that the atmosphere in the Osaka camp is positive as she mentioned that she was rather positive with how she performed. Defending just second-round points, this provides Osaka a golden opportunity to increase her lead at the top of the ranking board.
Her potential third-round opponent would be the crafty #HsiehSuwei, who also happens to be the 27th seed in the tournament. Hsieh and Osaka had actually met in the third round of Melbourne this year, with the Taiwanese coming the closest to defeat Osaka en route to her title run. Hsieh lost a 7-5, 3-0 lead in that encounter but this is yet another chance for her to claim the biggest win of her career.
20th seed #GarbineMuguruza has had a resurgent Indian Wells campaign although it ended abruptly against eventual champion Andreescu in the quarterfinals after winning just one solitary game. This came moments after defeating top-10 players Serena Williams (albeit via a retirement) and Kiki Bertens, in a match where she was forced to battle for the victory. Many might question whether that devastating loss would dent her confidence but we can see whether she can maintain her high-quality play against #TamaraZidansek, her potential opening-round opponent.
It could well be an all-Grand Slam champion clash between Muguruza and #CarolineWozniacki in the third round, with both former world number ones having just to win their opening matches to set up this highly-anticipated meeting. However, it would be a huge question mark for the Dane, who has been struggling with her health for the past few months, especially when she could face the dangerous #AliaksandraSasnovich in her first match.
Prediction: Osaka d. Muguruza
Second Section: Sabalenka and Kerber set for rematch, Andreescu lurks in the draw
Ninth seed Sabalenka and world number four Kerber would feel the sense of déjà vu. Similar to Indian Wells, they are set to meet in the fourth round, but for the German, a repeat of the Indian Wells final could occur in the third round due to the nature of the draw which took last week’s rankings for seeding purposes hence Andreescu was not seeded.
#ArynaSabalenka could face the same second-round opponent as in Indian Wells. #AjlaTomljanovic pushed her to a deciding set two weeks ago but this time the Belarusian would be more wary of the Australian, who could really pose some danger when she is on fire. Nonetheless, Tomljanovic would have to first battle past #AnnaLenaFriedsam, who is currently on her comeback trail from an injury.
The other seed in Sabalenka’s mini section of the draw would be #AnettKontaveit. They are projected to meet in the third round for a rematch of their Wuhan final last fall. However, it is a mountain to climb for the Estonian who received a tough draw as she will face either former top-10 player #AndreaPetkovic or the rising star #AmandaAnisimova in her first match. Anisimova defeated Sabalenka at this year’s Australian Open and would be a huge threat to all the top players.
It just all seems like a second Indian Wells, doesn’t it? #BiancaAndreescu’s first opponent in her title run was #IrinaCameliaBegu, and in Miami, they will once again face off in the opening round with the Romanian looking for revenge against the fatigued 18-year-old. It would be a tough ask for Andreescu to replicate her run considering her tough draw, adding onto her physical struggles after her arm and shoulder was heavily taped up during the final.
The winner of that match will face #SofiaKenin, who lifted the trophy in Hobart earlier this year. Interestingly enough, Kenin was faced with the same situation with Andreescu in Indian Wells after her ranking of 33 was not enough to be seeded as the draw used the previous week’s rankings. This time, if Andreescu prevails in her first match, the unseeded Canadian will ironically be ranked 10 places higher in the rankings.
There could be a repeat of the Indian Wells final as early as the third round. #AngeliqueKerber, the world number four but seeded eighth, will open her campaign against a qualifier which will only be decided during the first day of main draw action. However, Kerber faces some trouble in the third round with either Andreescu or Kenin awaiting.
Prediction: Kenin d. Anisimova
Third Section: Kvitova leads the way, defending semifinalist Azarenka hopes to cause damage
Third seed #PetraKvitova has never been consistently performing well in Miami throughout her career, amassing a disappointing 11-9 win-loss record. She only managed to reach the quarterfinals once, which came all the way back in 2014. Hence, it would be a tough ask for the Czech to produce a deep run and challenge for the number one ranking this fortnight. Furthermore, after receiving a tricky draw with a couple of hard-hitters, it seems like Kvitova will not leave Miami as the world number one.
So, who earns the right to face Kvitova in the second round? The tenacious #MariaSakkari, who has been unable to find her form in 2019, will battle for the right against wildcard #OlgaDanilovic, who was the first player born in the 2000s to win a WTA title last year in Moscow. Danilovic excels on clay and did not achieve many outstanding results on hard courts so Sakkari might take advantage and grab the win.
#AleksandraKrunic, weirdly, has been rather on-and-off with her performances as she could either produce an inspired display or go completely out of the zone. The Slovakian has a winnable opener against #SaraSorribesTormo and awaiting her in the second round would be 26th seed #DonnaVekic. Vekic had beaten a fatigued Kvitova in St. Petersburg last month and will be keen on replicating that victory in Miami as well. However, Vekic is unable to perform during the big events as seen during her shocking loss to Ysaline Bonaventure in Indian Wells.
Defending semifinalist #VictoriaAzarenka and former semifinalist #DominikaCibulkova will battle it out in the first round, with the Belarusian coming into the encounter as the huge favourite considering that the Slovakian has no form to speak of. Nonetheless, the former world number one will be on her toes as Cibulkova had triumphed in their last two completed matches.
19th seed #CarolineGarcia’s poor luck continues to bother her as she will face a former top-four player in her first match. Being the fourth-ranked player in the world just five months ago, Garcia has been experiencing a poor stretch of results in 2019 after losing to Brady on three different occasions and failing to find her best tennis. However, she will be encouraged by the fact that she defeated Azarenka in Cincinnati last year, which was not too long ago, and owns a commanding 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Cibulkova.
15th seed #JuliaGoerges has not looked at her best recently and this is giving the lower-ranked players extra confidence when they face the German. Wildcard #NataliaVikhlyantseva, who gave Venus Williams a real battle last year in Miami, faces the struggling #MagdalenaRybarikova in the opener and could be Goerges’ second-round opponent. Goerges won all three of their past meetings but this is the biggest chance for the Russian youngster to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Kvitova d. Garcia
Fourth Section: Barty, Pavlyuchenkova lurks as huge dangers to Bertens
12th seed #AshleighBarty is just around 100 points away from a top-10 debut and a deep run in Miami will definitely push her up in the rankings. The Australian lost the longest WTA match of the year against Svitolina last week and will kick off her Miami campaign with a match against a hard-hitter. Rising star #DayanaYastremska aims to bounce back from a disappointing first-round loss in Indian Wells although the underrated Russian #EkaterinaAlexandrova looks to spoil the party once more.
#MadisonKeys will compete in just her fourth event of the year after missing most events with an injury. The American has been unable to compete healthily ever since her breakthrough and after owning a 4-3 record (including Fed Cup) in 2019, the hard-hitting Keys will look to bounce back in Miami. Her first opponent could either be the out-of-form #SamanthaStosur or veteran #EvgeniyaRodina, who beat her in Wimbledon last year. Keys and Barty are set for a third-round face-off although the Australian triumphed easily in their meeting earlier this year.
#AnastasiaPavlyuchenkova yesterday announced that she has split with long-time coach Simon Goffin after a stretch of poor results which saw their hard work go down the drain. She will have a tough time in Miami as her opponent in the second round would either be #DariaGavrilova, who has the ability to grind anyone down, or #ViktoriaKuzmova, who is capable of blowing everyone off with her aggressive tennis when she is in-form.
#MonicaPuig, who has a large support group in Miami, will go up against rising star and US Open Junior Champion #WangXiyu in an intriguing first-round clash. The winner of that match will face seventh seed #KikiBertens, who continues to look for a top-five debut and she has a realistic chance of achieving this feat in Miami.
Prediction: Bertens d. Barty
Fifth Section: Pliskova and Bencic set for blockbuster fourth-round clash
#ZhangShuai will battle it out in the opening round with #PetraMartic, although the Croatian was struggling for form after being down with an illness in February. The Chinese will be the favourite to progress into the second round, where fifth seed #KarolinaPliskova will be waiting. The former world number one owns a devastating 7-0 head-to-head advantage against Zhang and will be the overwhelming favourite to move on.
Youngster #VeraLapko faces #AlizeCornet in a match where the winner has a decent chance of progressing into the third round as the winner will face 30th seed #MihaelaBuzarnescu, who owns a 1-12 win-loss record since an ankle injury in Cincinnati, in the second round. Buzarnescu snapped a lengthy losing streak in Acapulco this year but has looked nowhere near her best and is still in the process of regaining her form.
On the opposite end of this section lurks 23rd seed #BelindaBencic, whose 12-match winning streak ended in the hands of Kerber in the semifinals of Indian Wells. Bencic opens against either #YuliaPutintseva or #KirstenFlipkens and could face world number 12 #AnastasijaSevastova in the third round. #ZhengSaisai and #KaterinaSiniakova clashes in the first round with the Czech having the ability to pull off several upsets this week.
Many fans are looking forward to the potential fourth-round encounter between Bencic and Pliskova, who met for the first time in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells last week. Can the Swiss replicate that result and go deep in the event for the first time in her career?
Prediction: Bencic d. Ka.Pliskova
Sixth Section: Potential rematch of last year’s final in the fourth round
Doha champion #EliseMertens received a tricky draw but in fact, she seems like the most legitimate pick to reach the fourth round. #MargaritaGasparyan has been out in action for quite some time and will make her return against #PaulineParmentier, who does not seem to possess so much threat. Mertens defeated the Russian at the Australian Open this year.
On the other hand, 22nd seed #JelenaOstapenko returns with a bulk of points to defend. Defending 650 points, the Latvian is at huge risk of leaving the top-30 for the first time in two years and it certainly does not help when she is out-of-form yet was handed a tough draw. She will face the winner of the all-Czech battle between #MarketaVondrousova and #BarboraStrycova. The Czech youngster, Vondrousova, reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals and had defeated the Latvian en route.
#CamilaGiorgi was under an injury cloud for the past month after withdrawing from her last two tournaments. It seems like the Italian is finally returning to the circuit after a lengthy break but she will not have it easy as the defending champion and fourth seed #SloaneStephens is slated to be her third-round opponent. Nonetheless, Giorgi will first have to battle past either #TatjanaMaria or #AnnaKarolinaSchmiedlova.
Stephens, however, will need to get straight to business from the first shot onwards. She will get her title defence underway against either #AlisonVanUytvanck, who has one top-10 win under her belt, or #OnsJabeur, someone whom she lost to 3-6, 2-6 in Moscow last year. If she displays the form that got her to the title last year, it will be difficult not to see Stephens survive this section.
Prediction: Stephens d. Mertens
Seventh Section: Svitolina and Serena set for mouthwatering clash
This section features two big stars — though their health is an issue as well. #ElinaSvitolina endured through a knee inflammation to reach the semifinals in Indian Wells while #SerenaWilliams was forced to retire in her third-round match due to an illness which caused her to be unwell.
Svitolina has to be efficient in her first match as the threat is already looming. Acapulco champion #WangYafan and former top-10 player #KristinaMladenovic will battle for the right to face the Ukrainian and will definitely pose some danger to the last year’s quarterfinalist.
#DanielleCollins, who was unable to replicate her form since reaching the semifinals in Melbourne, will first face a wildcard in either #WhitneyOsuigwe, who is one of the most outstanding juniors, or #MariOsaka, Naomi Osaka’s elder sister who is making her WTA main draw debut but has yet to crack the world’s top-300. Svitolina and Collins might meet for the first time in the third round.
#JohannaKonta, the 2017 champion who is defending fourth round points, will face a qualifier in the opening round before the 18th seed #WangQiang awaits next. Serena Williams, having fell at the first hurdle last year, will have nothing to defend hence this could be a golden opportunity for her to extend her stay in the top-10. The American will be the third round opponent for either Konta or Wang.
Prediction: Svitolina d. S.Williams
Eighth Section: Halep leads the way
When you are completely out-of-form and nothing seems to be working, there will always be another window open, right? #DariaKasatkina, who fell out of the top-20 but still seeded 14th, will understand this as the Russian will open her Miami campaign against an American wildcard hence providing her with the biggest chance to gain confidence with a win. #CoriGauff and #CatyMcNally will battle for the opportunity to battle Kasatkina, but this will also be a perfect chance for the local hope to claim the biggest win of their respective young careers.
#VenusWilliams showed signs of resurgence in Indian Wells where she reached the quarterfinals to maintain her place inside the top-50 and this time, she is defending quarterfinal points here in Miami. Will the American legend be able to find that fire within her and produce yet another spectacular performance? She faces a qualifier before a second-round meeting with #CarlaSuarezNavarro, whom she owns a 6-3 win-loss record against having won their last four meetings. Williams, provided she is healthy, will be the favourite to emerge from this section.
#LesiaTsurenko could face an unfamiliar opponent in her first match; with wildcard #WangXinyu potentially awaiting. Known to hand their wildcards out to future prospects, Wang is a two-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion and has achieved much success in singles as well; almost clinching a win over Sharapova earlier this year in Shenzhen before succumbing to cramps.
World number three #SimonaHalep is the overwhelming favourite in this section and she will face either #JohannaLarsson or a qualifier in her first match. The Romanian did not look at her best in Indian Wells but she is tipped to go deep in Miami where she has a rather soft draw and could potentially challenge for the number one ranking with an excellent run here.
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