Day 1 of the WTA Miami Open signals the start of the only 96-player tournament of the season right now, due to the postponement/cancellation of Indian Wells. While the men don’t start until Wednesday, the women kick off the main draw on Tuesday, with 12 great matchups. We predict all of them for you. Four are in this article, and the other eight are in two separate articles–one features Zarina Diyas vs Venus Williams, and the other headlines Lauren Davis vs Kaia Kanepi.
WTA Miami Day 1 Predictions
Marie Bouzkova vs Arantxa Rus
Arantxa Rus has been a mainstay on tour for a decade, never cracking the Top 50 but always fighting through matches. She’s a bit past her peak, though, while Bouzkova is a rising youngster who is constantly improving and playing really well right now. The Czech cruises.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Nadia Podoroska vs Mayar Sherif
Podoroska has come down a bit from her incredible form at last year’s French Open. Mayar Sherif, meanwhile, is making history. Still, though Podoroska is a more talented player who is playing better tennis at the moment, on the whole. The Argentine should advance.
Prediction: Podoroska in 2
Christina McHale vs Laura Siegemund
Personally, I find it impossible not to root for McHale. Her personality and demeanor are infectious, and she’s hard to dislike. Her on-court game just hasn’t followed her potential, though, and she has languished around the edge of the Top 100 for most of her career. She always has the potential to play incredible matches, but Siegemund is both the better and more consistent player at the moment.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
Shelby Rogers vs Madison Brengle
The pair have only met four times in their long careers–twice in Majors, twice at the ITF level. Brengle won the first two meetings, back in 2011 and 2014, while Rogers has won the two matches since 2019. Rogers is playing a bit better tennis right now overall, and she seems to have Brengle’s game figured out at the moment.
Prediction: Rogers in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
