Top half of the draw plays their third-round matches on Day 5 at the 2022 WTA Miami Open. With plenty of potential contenders now eliminated, there’s plenty of chance for lower-ranked players to grab a deep run. Can the Australian Open runner-up, Danielle Collins, have her first good tournament since the Melbourne Slam?
WTA Miami Day 5 Predictions
Lucia Bronzetti vs Anna Kalinskaya
Head-to-head: First meeting
Lucia Bronzetti is definitely improving, but the 23-year-old Italian remains inexperienced at this level. Her only win against a top 50 opponent came this week over Alja Tomljanovic, after having entered the main draw as a lucky loser. Anna Kalinskaya has been just as good in 2022, impressing in a high-quality win over Karolina Pliskova in the second round. The Russian’s game is also much better suited to hard courts, giving her a significant edge going into this one.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 2
Katerina Siniakova vs Daria Saville
Head-to-head: Saville 2-0
After years of struggling with injuries, Daria Saville is finally healthy and even in the early days of her comeback, she’s already showcasing some of the potential that once saw her be considered one of the possible future greats of the WTA circuit. Her fantastic run at Indian Wells ended in five matches won and an injury scare that forced her to pull out of Miami qualifying. The tournament organizers granted her the wildcard and as she’s clearly healthy looking at her two wins here, this is a great opportunity for her to earn back more precious ranking points.
Prediction: Saville in 3
Kaia Kanepi vs Ons Jabeur
Head-to-head: Jabeur 2-0
Ons Jabeur is yet to hit her 2021 form this year and has been struggling with some physical issues, including in her opening match here against Magda Linette. Kaia Kanepi is every top player’s nightmare, particularly at the Slams but even at Indian Wells a week ago, she snatched a win over Belinda Bencic. With Jabeur in questionable form and potentially not fully fit, this is really a matchup that the Tunisian would rather avoid.
Prediction: Kanepi in 3
Danielle Collins vs Vera Zvonareva
Head-to-head: Collins 2-0
Danielle Collins hasn’t played much since making the Australian Open final, retiring to Marketa Vondrousova in Dubai and beating Anna Bondar here. The match certainly wasn’t easy, though, as the Hungarian even led by a break in the deciding set. The rust should start coming off soon and her level is expected to only go up from now on. It’s been a fantastic effort from the 37-year-old Vera Zvonareva to qualify and reach the third round here. She’s still capable of producing great tennis, but this one isn’t really on her racket.
Prediction: Collins in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
