Five Best Round 1 WTA Matches in Miami

With the Sunshine Double in full swing, there’s little time to rest. With the WTA main draw starting Tuesday, eye-catching Round 1 matches are on the horizon, and here are five to watch for:

Five Best Round 1 WTA Matches in Miami

1. Hailey Baptiste vs Tatjana Maria

In a matchup of contrasting styles, Hailey Baptiste’s power tennis could face a challenge in the form of Tatjana Maria’s variety. Though grass is far and away Maria’s best surface and her slice-heavy game isn’t as effective on hardcourts, Baptiste thrives on responding to pace, not variety. But Baptiste is coming off a solid run in Indian Wells, where she took eventual finalist Elena Rybakina to three sets. For Baptiste, the key to winning this match is staying patient and not trying to go for a winner too early, but if anyone can force that, it’s Maria. The winner of this match will face Liudmila Samsonova in the second round. 

2. Dayana Yastremska vs Ashlyn Krueger

Dayana Yastremska had a tough loss in Indian Wells, just barely taking a defeat from Alex Eala in the second round. Ashlyn Krueger, on the other hand, completed an upset as she took out Samsonova. But neither of these players tend to be dictated by their past results, and both could play their best tennis at any given moment–or their worst. With big ballstriking a certainty, this match will simply come down to whoever is better on the day. Additionally, Krueger is defending fourth-round points in Miami, which could add some pressure as she tries to maintain her ranking. Whoever comes out of this match will take on Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.

3. Sonay Kartal vs Peyton Stearns

The monumental run Sonay Kartal made to the fourth round of Indian Wells should put her as the favorite in this match, but her retirement in that fourth-round match calls that into question. Still, wins over Emma Navarro and Madison Keys cannot be ignored, and Kartal could very well take down Peyton Stearns here as well. Stearns, as usual, has had extremely up-and-down results; she won the title in Austin, then lost in the first round of Indian Wells a few days later. The similarity of Stearns’ chaotic style to Navarro and Keys doesn’t bode well for her, but Stearns certainly shouldn’t be counted out. This should be a close match, and in the second round the winner will play Emma Raducanu.

4. Sofia Kenin vs Anna Blinkova

Both Sofia Kenin and Anna Blinkova suffered tough early-round losses in Indian Wells. Kenin was up a set and a break against Katerina Siniakova in the first round, but ended up losing the match. Blinkova took the first set over Amanda Anisimova in the second round, but managed to win only one game in the second and third sets combined. That said, both players showcased a high level of tennis in the outset of those matches and if they bring that to Miami, their match could be great. If recent results are an indication, the match will hinge on who can maintain their best level for longer. The winner will have a tough test in Victoria Mboko in the second round.

5. Katerina Siniakova vs Camila Osorio

Two of the most resilient players on Tour, Katerina Siniakova and Camila Osorio’s first-round match is likely to be a long one. Both came back from the brink in Indian Wells; Siniakova against Kenin, and Osorio against Iva Jovic. Osorio has more power than Siniakova, but if Siniakova can take advantage of her doubles skills and utilize variety at the net, it could cause issues for Osorio. Both players are capable of coming back from the largest of deficits, and that combination could create an incredibly close match. In the second round, the winner of this match will face Karolina Muchova.