The adverse weather on Friday at the WTA Miami Open did not stop some matches from being completed. This included Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka’s victory against close friend Paula Badosa. Her next match against Anhelina Kalinina is one of four contests predicted in this article. Which players do you think will advance?
WTA Miami Day 5 Predictions
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Katie Boulter
Head-to-head: Boulter 1-0 Haddad Maia
Last year’s WTA Elite Trophy winner, Beatriz Haddad Maia, ended a run of four consecutive losses in a deciding set by coming from a set down to beat Diane Parry in the last round. This was an uncharacteristic run for the Brazilian, who is usually one of the best when matches go the distance. One of those previous losses was to Katie Boulter, who went on to win the San Diego title a few weeks ago after beating Haddad Maia in three sets. This should be an entertaining match, but I think Haddad Maia has the edge this time.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 2
Madison Keys vs Xinyu Wang
Head-to-head: Keys 1-0 Wang
This is just the fourth match of the season for Keys, who recently came back from injury. Her complete win in the previous round against Diana Shniader was comfortably her best match since returning. Expect plenty of powerful hitting in this one between two very aggressive players. At her best, Keys implements that style better. A blip is possible for the American after coming back from injury, but her performance against Shnaider will give her a lot of confidence for this match.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Maria Sakkari vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: First meeting
It feels like last year’s Guadalajara champion, Maria Sakkari, may have turned the corner at last. Her run to the final in Indian Wells was backed up with a devastating performance against Yue Yuan in Miami. Yastremska’s level has been mixed since her run to the Australian Open semifinal. She was somewhat inconsistent in the last round but did enough to beat Daria Saville. Sakkari is playing smarter tennis right now than in previous months. That makes me confident in her ability to soak up Yastremska’s aggressive groundstrokes and pick the right moments to attack.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Aryna Sabalenka vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kalinina’s victory against Caroline Wozniacki was the most dramatic match of the tournament thus far. She was a set and 5-2 down but managed to save a match point on her way to a stunning comeback triumph. Repeating that success will be hard. Sabalenka played very well after the off-court matters she has dealt with recently. It shows her incredible mentality. The Australian Open champion may not be at her absolute best in this contest. However, just some of her blistering power is likely to be enough to still claim victory.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
