It’s time to wrap up the second-round of the 2023 WTA Miami Open on Day 4 of play. Karolina Pliskova is flying a bit under the radar this year, but sitting at a very respectable 15-6 win/loss record. Can the Czech keep it going against Xinyu Wang? Who do you think will come out on top?
WTA Miami Day 4 Predictions
Shuai Zhang vs Erika Andreeva
Head-to-head: First meeting
18-year-old Erika Andreeva is still a developing prospect, but has already scored a few solid wins in the pros. Given Shuai Zhang’s form, she’s probably not completely outmatched here and the Chinese has just retired at Indian Wells, although due to an illness, not an injury. The seed had a few disastrous performances on the tour recently and will need to be much sharper to hit through the solid game of Andreeva.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Marie Bouzkova vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: 2-2
All of their matches so far took place on outdoor hard courts and all of them finished in straight sets with each player coming out on top twice. That streak might be coming to an end as neither is playing particularly well at the moment. Anna Blinkova defeated Marie Bouzkova in their last meeting in Hobart two months ago, but is generally the less consistent player. Maybe that helps out the Czech on Friday.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Varvara Gracheva vs Ons Jabeur
Head-to-head: Jabeur 1-0
Ons Jabeur defeated Varvara Gracheva in a wild 7-5 0-6 6-4 scoreline on the way to her Madrid title last year. This time she faces the Russian while still out of form after an injury. To make matters worse, the 22-year-old is playing the tennis of her life the past couple of weeks with a final in Austin, the fourth round in Indian Wells, and 12 wins in her last 14 matches. She’s already won three times in Miami too and should pose a threat to Jabeur.
Prediction: Gracheva in 3
Karolina Pliskova vs Xinyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Xinyu Wang had a pretty big run in Indian Wells, taking out Elise Mertens and Ekaterina Alexandrova before getting a set off Barbora Krejcikova. The 21-year-old is seeking the opportunity for a breakout win and this one could be it. Karolina Pliskova remains the favorite with her quietly putting together a nice campaign in 2023 so far, but she’ll need to be on top of her game from the get-go here.
Prediction: Pliskova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
