It’s been an incredible tournament so far at the WTA Miami Open, with plenty of thrilling tennis, and the action continues on day four with 16 matches on the slate. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Karolina Pliskova vs Zheng Saisai. But who will rise to the occasion and who will fall short?
We also have predictions for the other 12 matches of the day, between three separate articles. One features Ajla Tomljanovic vs Naomi Osaka, the second highlights Sloane Stephens vs Amanda Anisimova, and the third features Karolina Pliskova vs Saisai Zheng.
WTA Miami Open Day Four Predictions
Storm Sanders vs Jessica Pegula
Head-to-head: first meeting
Wildcard Storm Sanders picked up a good first round win in three sets against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Sanders has a tricky left-handed game that can perplex opponents. But Jessica Pegula is having a terrific season. She has gone 15-5 so far this year, having reached the Australian Open quarterfinals, as well as the semifinals in Doha and the last eight in Dubai.
Sanders is returning well, with the Australian winning an impressive 55% of her return points against Cocciaretto. However, Pegula has a bigger game than the Italian and should present a stiffer test. Control of the baseline will be huge in this match and it is hard not to favour Pegula’s solid baseline game. Sanders was also broken four times against Cocciaretto and she won’t be able to get away with such lapses against the American.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
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Sofia Kenin vs Andrea Petkovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Sofia Kenin is returning from a break from action because her appendix was taken out and the sort of level she will be able to muster in this match is completely unknown as a result. Former-world #10 Andrea Petkovic, meanwhile, picked up a good three-set win over Zhang Shuai in the first round at the WTA Miami Open, with Petkovic winning 55% of her return points in that match.
With this the first meeting between this pair and Kenin’s fitness unknown after her surgery, this match is tough to call. But Petkovic was solid in the first round against Zhang and returned serve very well. That win will surely have given the German real confidence in her chances ahead of this match, especially because Kenin will probably not be playing her best tennis. Petkovic advances.
Prediction: Petkovic in 3
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Liudmila Samsonova vs Kiki Bertens
Head-to-head: first meeting
Liudmila Samsonova qualified for the main draw at the WTA Miami Open without dropping a set and then comfortably beat Camila Giorgi in the first round, 6-2 6-4. Samsonova won 78% of the points behind her first serve in that match. Kiki Bertens, meanwhile, will be looking to snap a dreadful run of form. The Dutchwoman missed the start of the season and was handily beaten on her return to action in both Qatar and Dubai.
These two have never played before. But with Samsonova playing great tennis and Bertens in some of the worst form of her career, it is the Russian who must be considered the favourite heading into this match. She looks confident and comfortable in the Miami conditions and although Bertens is the bigger name, expect Samsonova to win this match comfortably enough.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
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Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Bianca Andreescu makes her return to action at the WTA Miami Open after injury had kept her sidelined following a defeat in the semifinals at the WTA Phillips Island Trophy in February. The Canadian made a reasonably assured start to the season, going 4-2 in Australia and showcasing some of the power and variety that took her to the 2019 US Open title.
Tereza Martincova, meanwhile, qualified for this tournament without losing a set and then beat Yaroslava Shvedova without encountering too many problems in the first round. Martincova won 58% of her return points in that match and the Czech may well need to continue to return that well to compete with Andreescu.
Four of Andreescu’s five completed matches this season have gone the distance, so expect a rollercoaster in this one. Ultimately though, whilst Martincova is a solid baseliner, Andreescu has a much more dynamic game and should have enough to come through this one, even if it goes to three sets.
Prediction: Andreescu in 3
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