The second leg of the ‘Sunshine Double’ is in full swing as we enter into day three action in the Miami Open WTA draw. Some of the best players in the world will be in action on Thursday, with Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff taking Stadium Court. No. 3 seed Pegula will take on Katherine Sebov, and No. 6 seed Gauff squares off against Rebecca Marino. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for those matches and all other happenings around the grounds of the Miami Open. But who will advance?
WTA Miami Open Day 3 Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs Mirjam Bjorklund
Head-to-Head: first meeting
25-year-old Jelena Ostapenko and 24-year-old Mirjam Bjorklund will square off for the first time with a spot in the Miami Open third round on the line. Ostapenko, the No. 24 seed, has had an up-and-down start to the year. She is just 4-4 since reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Bjorklund comes into this match having already won three matches this week, though all of her wins were three-set battles. I expect Ostapenko to dictate most of the points in this match and use the slick Miami courts to her advantage. She should be able to power by the Swed if she keeps her unforced errors count in check.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Paula Badosa vs Laura Siegemund
Head-to-Head: Badosa 1-2 Siegemund
Paula Badosa is looking to back up her 2022 run to the Miami Open quarterfinals with another strong showing this year. She draws a player that has gotten the best of her twice in their three meetings, Laura Siegemund. The 35-year-old German is a tough out and forces you to hit many extra balls during each point to put her away. In Badosa’s current form, I do not know if she can win a ‘grind it out’ match. The Spaniard is 1-3 in her last four matches and has struggled to stay fully fit on the court. I give the edge to Siegemund, especially if it goes three sets.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Katherine Sebov
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Holding a 15-5 record this season, Jessica Pegula has been one of the most dominant forces on the WTA Tour in 2023. Despite her success, she has yet to capture a WTA title this year. She will be ready to embark on a deep run this week in Miami. Her second-round opponent is world No. 172 Katherine Sebov of Canada. The 24-year-old is coming off the highest-ranked win of her career as she took down world No. 50 Linda Fruhvirtova in Round 1. Sebov has been striking the ball well this week in Miami, but she does not have the consistency or firepower to hang with Pegula.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Coco Gauff vs Rebecca Marino
Head-to-Head: Gauff 1-0 Marino
19-year-old Coco Gauff will take on veteran Canadian Rebecca Marino in Round 1 in Miami. Gauff won their only previous meeting, 7-5 6-0, last year at Roland Garros. Gauff holds a 14-4 record this season and is on the brink of winning some of the sport’s biggest titles. She has never passed the fourth round in Miami, so I believe she will be locked in and ready to go this week. Marino had a nice Round 1 win over Yulia Putintseva, but I do not trust her consistency to break down Gauff’s game at the Miami Open.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Andy Abeyta – The Desert Sun/USA TODAY NETWORK
