World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will look to continue her winning run on the sixth day of the WTA Miami Open. Her fascinating contest with Linda Noskova is one of four matches predicted in this article. As always, we at LWOT also predict all the other WTA Miami Open matches on day 6, including Naomi Osaka vs Caroline Garcia. But who do you think will progress to the next round?
WTA Miami Day 6 Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Head-to-head: Alexandrova 1-1 Pavlyuchenkova
Pavlyuchenkova has played some of her best hard-court tennis in recent years. After reaching her first WTA 1000 hard court semifinal in 14 years in Doha, she backed it up with a quarterfinal in San Diego and a run to the fourth round in Indian Wells last week. Pavlyuchenkova showed that form to dismantle Shelby Rogers 6-2 6-1 in the first round in Miami. It will be a very different kind of match against the big-serving Alexandrova. Pavlyuchenkova will need to be strong on her own serve and wait for opportunities to strike. But I think the 2021 French Open runner-up is capable of doing that and exploiting Alexandrova’s movement with her powerful hitting.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 2
Danielle Collins vs Elina Avanesyan
Head-to-head: First meeting
Collins won an incredible 19 points in a row during her victory against Anastasia Potapova. It is always important to use an element of caution after a great performance from Collins since her level can be inconsistent. She is also playing against an opponent who defeated Ons Jabeur in the last round. However, I still feel confident that Collins will triumph again. The speed and bounce of the courts in Miami suit her powerful playing style perfectly, which is why it has been her most successful WTA 1000 event during her career. Avanesyan probably needs to be even better than her previous match to cause another upset.
Prediction: Collins in 2
Jessica Pegula vs Leylah Fernandez
Head-to-head: First meeting
Fernandez comfortably overcame Emiliana Arango in the last round, while last year’s WTA Finals runner-up Pegula was a set and 4-1 up when Lin Zhu had to retire. It will be interesting to see how Fernandez approaches this contest tactically. The 2021 US Open runner-up is a very good athlete and is consistent from the baseline. But Pegula thrives most when her opponents give her a consistent pace from the baseline, allowing her to get into a rhythm and use her hand-eye coordination. Fernandez may need to mix things up and try and use her capable skills at the net to disrupt the American since Pegula is certainly the favourite in the Miami conditions.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: Swiatek 2-1 Noskova
Noskova managed one of the upsets of the season by beating Swiatek at the Australian Open. However, the world No. 1 put that behind her by easily beating the 19-year-old during her run to the title in Indian Wells. Is there any chance of Noskova shocking Swiatek again? The conditions in Miami give her a slightly better chance. They are less bouncy and slightly quicker than Indian Wells, which helps her more than Swiatek. But the four-time Grand Slam champion is still very unlikely to lose. She is in the zone at the moment and is very hard to stop when that is the case.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
