Day 3 of the WTA Miami Open brings us second-round action. We will see some of the 32 seeds meed their initial challengers. Will any fall? Who will advance to the third round of this 96-player draw? We predict all of the action for you. In addition to this article, we have three others. One features Simona Halep vs Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka vs Tsvetana Pironkova, and the last features Kirsten Flipkens vs Jelena Ostapenko.
WTA Miami Open Day 3 Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Zarina Diyas
Diyas made her way through Venus Williams in straight sets in the opening round, including a riveting tiebreak to finish the match. Her next opponent, though lacking the career pedigree of Williams, is arguably currently a more dangerous player. Bencic is certainly more consistent. The Swiss has struggled a bit this year, though she isn’t playing poorly. Don’t be surprised if the Kazakh can spring the upset, but don’t expect it either.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Laura Siegemund
Azarenka’s comeback from her pregnancy hiatus and the resulting aftermath has probably been a bit slower than she expected. The Belorussian was one of the absolute best in the world when she left the game. Now she still has the ability to be there, but hasn’t quite been able to put it together yet. She showed flashes of her old brilliance at last year’s US Open, and she reached her first Grand Slam final in seven years. Azarenka hasn’t carried that form into 2021, but–assuming she’s healthy–she’s good enough right now to get through Siegemund with relative ease.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Alize Cornet vs Petra Kvitova
This is a great second-round match. Kvitova hasn’t quite been up to her usual level yet this year, though she played excellent tennis in Dubai to win the title. Then again, Cornet hasn’t been at her best this year, either. The Frenchwoman has a bunch of good wins, but she also has played some poor matches and suffered noncompetitive losses against top players. Cornet just doesn’t have the game to match Kvitova’s from the baseline. As long as Kvitova doesn’t play poorly, she wins with ease.
Prediction: Kvitova in 2
Coco Gauff vs Anastasija Sevastova
Gauff is an otherworldly talent who has steadily been improving the past few years. I am among those who thought the initial hype was a bit overdone, but the raw talent is obvious to all. Gauff will be a mainstay among the WTA elite someday (and soon), even if she isn’t quite there yet. Meanwhile, Sevastova is a rising talent whose progression has stagnated a bit. A year ago I would have thought she might be a match for Gauff. Now? No chance.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
