With the conclusion of the WTA Indian Wells Open, attention shifts to the second half of the Sunshine Double – Florida’s Miami Open which gets underway on March 19.
This will be the fourth WTA 1000 tournament of the season and the draw is filled with all the top players except for the defending champion Petra Kvitova who is on maternity leave. Before we see the top players in action there are some exciting matches in the first round to look forward to.
Simona Halep vs Paula Badosa
Head-to-head: Halep 2-0 Badosa
Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep returns to tennis after her four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months after a successful appeal. Halep received a wildcard; this would be her first event on tour since the 2022 US Open.
Halep won’t be disappointed with her first match as she has a perfect record against her first-round opponent. The former World No. 1 has reached the semifinals of this event twice.
Paula Badosa has been struggling with injuries for quite some time now. The Spaniard has a 4-5 win/loss record this year and had to retire from injury in two of those matches. Badosa had to withdraw at the last moment from Indian Wells and there will be a question mark around her fitness heading into this match.
It will be intriguing to see how Halep fares in her comeback match against the former world #2. The winner of this match will face Aryna Sabalenka.
Sloane Stephens vs Angelique Kerber
Head-to-head: Stephens 5-2 Kerber
Former US Open Champions Sloane Stephens and Angelique Kerber will clash in the first round of the 2024 Miami Open. Their last meeting was in the 2021 US Open
Stephens has been struggling with her form this year but had a decent showing in Indian Wells before losing to Daria Kasatkina in a tight three-setter. Stephens won the Miami Open in 2018 where she beat Kerber en route. She loves to play in US hard court events and will look to make the most of it.
Angelique Kerber returned to the tour this year following the birth of her first child. Having won just 1 out of 7 matches in her first three events, she notched up the best result since her comeback reaching the fourth round in Indian Wells with wins over the in-form Jelena Ostapenko and Veronika Kudermetova before losing to her old rival Caroline Wozniacki.
These two haven’t played their best tennis in recent years but have the potential to play at a high level even now.
Venus Williams vs Diana Shnaider
Head-to-head: first meeting
Diana Shnaider wasn’t born when Venus Williams won her first Miami title in 1998. Venus Williams has played just 35 matches in the last four years, so, seeing her play is a joy for tennis fans. The 43-year-old played her first event of the year in Indian Wells, where she lost to Nao Hibino in three sets.
Diana Shnaider has made a great start this year, winning her first-ever WTA singles title at the Thailand Open. The 19-year-old also made the finals of the WTA 125 tournament in Charleston on Saturday. Williams is not so quick anymore and Shnaider will look to expose that.
Naomi Osaka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: first meeting
Naomi Osaka was fantastic in her straight-sets win over Liudmila Samsonova in Indian Wells and that will give her a lot of confidence. She reached the finals of this event the previous time she competed, in 2022. The former world #1 is slowly finding her best form and will back herself to win this match.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto just won the WTA 125 tournament in Charleston on Saturday. The Italian will be looking for her first win at this event. Cocciaretto is a tricky opponent and can frustrate Osaka with her commendable fighting spirit. Elina Svitolina awaits the winner of this match.
Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic
Head-to-head: Pliskova 7-2 Vekic
After a disappointing 2023 season and a slow start to this year, Karolina Pliskova has played some wonderful tennis which helped her win a title in Cluj-Napoca, her first title since 2020. She also reached the semifinals of Doha the following week. Pliskova suffered a tough loss in Indian Wells to Anna Blinkova. The former world #1 would be eager to get back to winning ways against an opponent she has had plenty of success in the past. Pliskova’s best result in the Miami Open was a finals appearance in 2019 where she lost to Ashleigh Barty.
Donna Vekic is capable of playing at a very high level, as seen by her victory over Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai. But apart from that she has been below her best this year. Miami has not been a happy hunting ground for Vekic as she has never made it past the third round.
The expectations are high for this match and if they both play at their best it will be a treat for the fans.
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