It promises to be an entertaining first day at the WTA Miami Open with 16 first-round matches on the slate. Although the big names will not enter the fray until later in the week, there are plenty of intriguing matches on the schedule and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for all of them. But who will reach the round of 64?
WTA Miami Day 1 Predictions
Bernarda Pera vs Evgeniya Rodina
Head-to-head: first meeting
Playing on home turf, Bernarda Pera will doubtless have plenty of motivation to win this match and, frankly, she should win it. She has been playing the best tennis of her career over the last 12 months or so and that is reflected in the fact that her current ranking of world #37 is a career high. Fresh from reaching the third round in Indian Wells, a run that included an impressive win over 12th seed Liudmila Samsonova, Pera should be in a good rhythm, whereas Evgeniya Rodina is not the player she once was. The Russian has just one win under her belt so far in 2023 and doesn’t look likely to double her money here.
Prediction: Pera in 2
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Viktorija Golubic vs Hailey Baptiste
Head-to-head: Golubic 1-0 Baptiste
This is a big opportunity for Hailey Baptiste. Things have not quite gone to plan of late for the 21-year-old American who is currently languishing outside the top 250. But when she is on song, she can be a very difficult opponent to face. The same, to some extent, could be said of Viktorija Golubic. The Swiss has been ranked as high as world #35 and her one-handed backhand is a weapon to be feared. But Baptiste will have the crowd right behind and if she can use that support to find some momentum this might just prove to be a memorable day for her.
Prediction: Baptiste in 3
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Anna Karolina Schmiedlova vs Lauren Davis
Head-to-head: Davis 2-0 Schmiedlova
This will be the third meeting between Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Lauren Davis. The first two were also contested during the Sunshine Double, albeit in Indian Wells, with Davis winning both matches handily. Will the change of scenery help Schmiedlova’s cause? It’s not unthinkable. The Slovakian looked sharp in the qualifying, beating Whitney Osuigwe and Emma Navarro to secure her place in the main draw. Davis meanwhile, has not played since losing in the second round in Dubai. Which might just set the stage perfectly for Schmiedlova to take revenge.
Prediction: Schmiedlova in 2
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Mayar Sherif vs Laura Siegemund
Head-to-head: Siegemund 1-0 Sherif
At 35, Laura Siegemund is quite a lot closer to the end of her career than the end of it, but she remains a difficult opponent to face, particularly in conditions that suit her like those in Miami. She showed as much in the qualifying, reaching the main draw with ease. Mayar Sherif, meanwhile, has found some form after a difficult start to the season, reaching the quarterfinals in Monterrey, though she was beaten in the first round by Linda Fruhvirtova in Indian Wells despite winning the opening set to love. This has the makings of a close match, but on current form, Siegemund should have the edge.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
Main photo credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
