Miami Open 2022: Belinda Bencic vs Naomi Osaka preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (22) Belinda Bencic vs Naomi Osaka

Date: 31 March 2022

Tournament: Miami Open

Round: Semifinal

Venue: Miami, Florida, USA

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,584,055

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Belinda Bencic vs Naomi Osaka preview

Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka are set for an exciting semi-final showdown at the 2022 Miami Open on Thursday.

Bencic seems to have rediscovered her form after early exits from the two WTA 1000 events prior to Miami. After a first-round bye, the Swiss defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-1 to progress to the third round.

Heather Watson and Aliaksandra Sasnovich were similarly disposed of in straight sets. Bencic defeated Daria Saville 6-1, 6-2 in the last eight to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time since the 2019 Madrid Open.

In the ZONE 👊

🇨🇭 @BelindaBencic sweeps past Saville for a spot in the #MiamiOpen semifinals! https://t.co/7jP5P7X1Fo

Naomi Osaka started the year on a strong note, reaching the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set before withdrawing due to injury. Her title defense at the Australian Open ended in the third round against Amanda Anisimova.

At the Indian Wells Open, Osaka defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. In the second round, a heckler reduced the Japanese star to tears, leading to a 6-0, 6-4 loss against Veronika Kudermerova.

Osaka has rebounded well in Miami. She started off with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Astra Sharma. She defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3 and a walkover from Karolina Muchova saw her advance to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event.

Rock solid 💪

@naomiosaka breezes past Collins and enters the #MiamiOpen semifinals for the first time in her career! https://t.co/v8LPSWNPMt

Osaka defeated Alison Riske 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 16, followed by a 6-2, 6-1 victory over 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals. The former World No. 1 has reached the biggest semifinal of her career since the 2021 Australian Open.

Belinda Bencic vs Naomi Osaka head-to-head

The pair have faced off four times before, with Bencic leading 3-1 in the head-to-head. The Swiss won their most recent encounter at the 2019 US Open in straight sets.

Belinda Bencic vs Naomi Osaka prediction

Both players have played extremely well in Miami so far. Given her positive record against Osaka, Bencic will be feeling quite confident about her chances. All three of her wins against the Japanese came in 2019 in some of the biggest tournaments on the WTA tour.

Osaka ended her four-match losing streak against Kerber last week and will be looking to do the same against Bencic. The former World No. 1 hit 13 aces in the last match against Danielle Collins and will need to produce a similar serving performance to give her the edge against the Swiss.

Bencic's forehand has proved particularly useful against Osaka in the past, and she will rely on it to do most of the damage. Her serving stats, however, have been rather poor when compared to the four-time Grand Slam champion's. She served three double faults in her last match against Daria Saville and could manage a first serve percentage of just over 50%.

While the Japanese has been on the backfoot for most of this rivalry, she appears to be completely dialed in at the moment. Osaka has found a way to deal with her off-court troubles and that has translated into success on the court. This seems like the perfect opportunity for her to turn the tables on Bencic and pull one back in their lop-sided rivalry.

Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in straight sets.

Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Schedule