Miami Open 2022: Naomi Osaka vs Astra Sharma preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Naomi Osaka vs Astra Sharma.
Tournament: Miami Open presented by Itau.
Round: First Round (Round of 128).
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.
Naomi Osaka vs Astra Sharma preview
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will kickstart her Miami Open campaign against World No. 96 Astra Sharma.
Since Osaka's revelation about her mental health struggles last year, the Japanese hasn't been able to build a good run of form. Having wrapped up 2021 with a third-round loss at the US Open, the former World No. 1 returned to action at the Melbourne Summer Set 1 in January after a four-month break.
Although she showed glimpses of her brilliance during her run to the semifinals, the 24-year-old failed to sustain that level in her subsequent tournaments. Osaka's next couple of events, the Australian Open and the BNP Paribas Open, saw her crash out in the third and second rounds respectively.
Main draw in Miami, where Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are the top seeds.
Naomi Osaka opens against Astra Sharma. Winner face Angelique Kerber.
Shelby Rogers and Anisimova face off in 1R.
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In fact, the Japanese hardly had any answer against Veronika Kudermetova in her latest loss at Indian Wells just two weeks ago. Osaka managed to win just four games before falling 6-0, 6-4.
The World No. 77 will hope to bounce back strongly now that the tour has moved to her home tournament, the Miami Open.
In her quest for a good showing in the third WTA 1000 tournament of the year, Osaka has a relatively easy opening-round fixture. She faces Australia's Astra Sharma, who has one title to her credit and has never been ranked higher than 84th in the world.
Sharma's solitary title came at the WTA 250 event in Charleston last year, where she beat Ons Jabeur in the final. Since then, the 26-year-old has made the quarterfinals just once in 19 tour-level events.
This year, Sharma managed to win multiple matches for the first time at the BNP Paribas Open two weeks back. Having lost in the final round of qualifying, she entered the main draw as the lucky loser and won in the first round. Sharma's campaign was then cut short in the second round by Victoria Azarenka.
Naomi Osaka vs Astra Sharma head-to-head
Osaka and Sharma have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Naomi Osaka vs Astra Sharma prediction
Although Osaka herself hasn't been in the best of form of late, she will still present a steep challenge for Sharma.
The Japanese is trying to work her way back into the top echelons of the tennis circuit. The accuracy and razor-sharp focus, with which she has won four Grand Slam titles, have gone missing in the recent past.
But if Osaka can settle down and find her big serve and attacking groundstrokes, she could still be dangerous. The former World No. 1 has plenty of experience at the highest level to draw upon should she briefly falter.
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In contrast, Sharma has never made it past the second round of any Major. She does possess a lot of raw power but isn't the most consistent player around.
The Aussie could put Osaka in a spot of bother with her aggression but it remains to be seen how long she can sustain her advantage. If Sharma's unforced errors start mounting under pressure, she could very well open up Osaka's path to the second round.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in straight sets.