After an exciting finish to Indian Wells where Elena Rybakina lifted the trophy and got her revenge over Aryna Sabalenka, we kick off WTA Miami with the traditional first round of unseeded players. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Who will get to face the seeds?
WTA Miami Day 1 Predictions
Yulia Putintseva vs Rebecca Marino
Head-to-head: first meeting
Putintseva is yet to really leave her mark on the season, going 7-8 on the season, though the Kazakh’s recent losses to Petra Kvitova and Karolina Muchova are hard to critique. Marino’s recent losses have been tougher, winning just four games against Marketa Vondrousova. Putintseva is a slight favorite for me due to her superior past results in Florida.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
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Marta Kostyuk vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: first meeting
Kostyuk won her first WTA title in Austin to begin the month but she followed it up with a first-round loss to Rebecca Peterson in Indian Wells. Cocciaretto also left California winless, going out to Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in straight sets. Kostyuk is the superior hard court player and I expect that to shine through.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 2
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Alexandra Eala vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Head-to-head: first meeting
17-year-old Eala enters with a wild card but she has struggled to really get going this season, going 4-4 in ITFs and qualifying, winning just four games in her last match against Sonay Kartal in Trnava. Begu is a seasoned veteran, 15 years Eala’s senior, making her tenth Miami appearance. The Romanian began her season with a semifinal run in Adelaide but comes in on a four-match losing streak, failing to win a set since the Australian Open. Begu lucks out a bit here though as Eala just does not seem ready for this level.
Prediction: Begu in 2
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Elise Mertens vs Alycia Parks
Head-to-head: first meeting
Mertens is making her first appearance in Miami main draw as an unseeded player. The Belgian has been a beacon of consistency in recent years though cracks have started to appear, taking a rough 3-6 1-6 loss to Wang Xinyu in her last match. Since winning her first WTA title in Lyon, Parks has struggled for form, winning just one in five matches since. The 22-year-old managed to win just two games against Anna Kalinskaya in her last match. It’s tough to pick a winner here but I expect Mertens’ experience to shine through.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Editor’s Note: Due to a scheduling error, these predictions were published after the matches concluded
