After a thrilling start to the tournament at the WTA Miami Open, the excitement should continue on day six in the Sunshine State. There are eight third-round matches on the slate and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Naomi Osaka vs Nina Stojanovic. But who will book their place in the fourth round?
WTA Miami Open Day Six Predictions
Karolina Pliskova vs Jessica Pegula
Head-to-head: Pegula 2-0 Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova will surely be targeting a deep run at the WTA Miami Open to get her season kickstarted after a lacklustre beginning to 2021. The Czech delivered one of her best performances of the year so far to beat Zheng Saisai 6-2 6-1 in her opener in Miami, a victory that may well help her recover from the disappointment of early exits at the Australian Open, the WTA Qatar Open and in Dubai. Except that her third-round opponent is Jessica Pegula, who thrashed her in both Doha and Dubai.
In fact, Pliskova managed to win just six games over the course of those two matches. And although Pegula was not quite at her best in beating Storm Sanders 6-3 6-4, the American still turned in a very creditable performance. The conditions in Miami should suit Pliskova, certainly more than they did in Doha and Dubai, but this is clearly a problematic matchup for the former-world #1. After Pegula won so handily so recently, it is hard not to like her chances of making it a hat-trick of wins.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
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Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-head: first meeting
Elena Rybakina had appeared to be struggling in the early weeks of 2021. The Kazakh arrived at the WTA Miami Open having failed to go beyond the second round at her last four tournaments, an undeniably disappointing return for a player of her quality. But she looked like she was back to something approaching her best in her opener in Miami, hammering the dangerous Kaia Kanepi for the loss of only four games.
Standing between her and a place in the last 16 is Sara Sorribes Tormo. The Spaniard has played some fine tennis in her own right so far in Miami, edging out Bernarda Pera 6-2 2-6 7-5 before rallying from a set down to upset Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady. The 24-year-old appears to be enjoying the conditions in Miami and will surely be full of confidence ahead of her first meeting with Rybakina. But, if the Kazakh is focused, she should have too much for Sorribes Tormo in the baseline exchanges.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
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Bianca Andreescu vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Bianca Andreescu’s return to competitive action has not gone off without a hitch, but the signs have been broadly positive for the Canadian. She was not at her best at the Australian Open, losing in the second round, but she has bounced back with a run to the semifinals at the WTA Phillip Island Trophy and now a 7-6 6-2 win over Tereza Martincova in the second round at the WTA Miami Open. However, Amanda Anisimova should provide a stern test of her credentials.
The American missed the start of the season after testing positive for Covid-19, but has played some solid tennis since returning to the tour. She was outclassed in the second round in Dubai by Garbine Muguruza, but recorded impressive victories over Ana Konjuh and Sloane Stephens either side of that defeat. But it would be a surprise were she to get the better of Andreescu. The Canadian, at least currently, is the more complete player. Expect her to edge out Anisimova.
Prediction: Andreescu in 3
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Ons Jabeur vs Sofia Kenin
Head-to-head: Kenin 5-1 Jabeur
Sofia Kenin’s defence of the Australian Open title may have ended in extremely disappointing fashion, but the subsequent revelation that the American was suffering from appendicitis goes some way to explaining her indifferent play in Melbourne. She certainly looked more like a Grand Slam champion in her opener in Miami as she recovered from losing the first set to beat the veteran Andrea Petkovic 6-7 6-1 6-3, a win that will surely have given her a shot of confidence.
Ons Jabeur, meanwhile, has been slowly rediscovering her best tennis after a brief slump in the early weeks of the season. The Tunisian reached the last 16 in Dubai a fortnight ago and proved too strong for Paula Badosa Gibert in the second round at the WTA Miami Open, winning 7-6 5-7 7-5. But this is not a matchup that she has enjoyed. Kenin has won five of their previous six meetings and Jabeur has done little in recent weeks to suggest she can engineer a different outcome this time.
Prediction: Kenin in 2
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