Miami Open 2021: Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (8) Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova
Date: 26 March 2021
Tournament: Miami Open 2021
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Miami, Florida
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $3,260,190
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport
Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova preview
Bianca Andreescu will kickstart her 2021 Miami Open campaign on Friday when she faces Tereza Martincova in the second round.
After a long-awaited comeback at the Australian Open this year, Andreescu has struggled to find her footing on tour. After laboring past Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round at Melbourne, the Canadian was given a reality check by Su-Wei Hsieh in the next as she lost 3-6, 2-6.
Andreescu then took part in the Phillip Island Trophy, where she made the semis. But two of her victories (against Irina-Camelia Begu and Madison Brengle) were extremely close, while her third opponent Zarina Diyas handed her a walkover after the first set.
A subsequent leg issue forced Andreescu to sit out of the events in Adelaide, Doha and Dubai.
The 20-year-old has since recovered fully, and now seems eager to put in a good showing at the Miami Open. Interestingly, the only other time that Andreescu played in Miami (2019), her injury problems came to the fore (she retired midway against Anett Kontaveit in the fourth round) and halted her 10-match winning streak.
Meanwhile, Tereza Martincova has won three matches already at this year's Miami Open. The Czech has come through two rounds of qualifying and an opening round clash against Yaroslava Shvedova without dropping a set.
Martincova is currently ranked about 100 spots below Andreescu, but that doesn’t do justice to her recent form. The Czech reached the last 16 at Dubai, ousting Kristyna Pliskova and Kiki Bertens along the way.
Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head
Bianca Andreescu and Tereza Martincova have never faced each other on tour, and as such their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Bianca Andreescu vs Tereza Martincova prediction
Bianca Andreescu was understandably a long way off from her peak form during her recent matches in Australia. The Canadian’s rust came to the fore on several occasions as she sprayed countless unforced errors while also struggling on her serve.
That said, Andreescu is undeniably one of the finest exponents of all-court tennis in the women's game today. Her opponents often have to come up with an incredible amount of variety to outplay the Canadian, much like what Su-Wei Hsieh did at the Australian Open.
Tereza Martincova's game is more power-oriented though; she likes to take the ball on the rise and bludgeon her forehands. And Andreescu excels at redirecting pace, which would give her the upper hand in the longer rallies.
Martincova might be able to eke out a set if she can consistently paint the lines. However, Andreescu remains the favorite to prevail if the match goes to a decider.
Prediction: Bianca Andreescu to win in three sets.