Miami Open 2023, Day 4: Women's singles predictions ft. Aryna Sabalenka vs Shelby Rogers
Day 4 of the 2023 Miami Open will see the second round of the women's singles tournament continue, featuring several interesting encounters.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka will look to reach the third round of the WTA 1000 event as she takes on Shelby Rogers, while fourth seed Ons Jabeur will be up against Varvara Gracheva. Seventh seed Maria Sakkari and Bianca Andreescu will lock horns in one of the most highly-anticipated fixtures of the day, while ninth seed Belinda Bencic will be up against Leylah Fernandez.
The likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Madison Keys and Petra Kvitova will also be in action on Friday, with each aiming to book their respective spots in the third round.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the women's singles matches that will take place on Day 4 of the Miami Open:
#1 Aryna Sabalenka vs Shelby Rogers
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka will face Shelby Rogers in the second round of the Miami Open. It will be the fourth meeting between the two, with Sabalenka winning each of their previous three encounters.
The Belarusian has been in terrific form over the past couple of months, winning the Australian Open and most recently reaching the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Rogers, on the other hand, has won only 5 main draw matches on the WTA Tour out of 11, with her most notable performance being reaching the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open. The American booked her place in the second round of the Miami Open with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over Sloane Stephens
Sabalenka beat Rogers 6-3, 6-1 at this year's Australian Open and should be able to register another comprehensive win over the 30-year-old in Miami.
Predicted Winner: Aryna Sabalenka
#2 Ons Jabeur vs Varvara Gracheva
Fourth seed Ons Jabeur will face Varvara Gracheva in the second round of the Miami Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Jabeur beating her 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 in the second round of last year's Madrid Open.
The WTA World No. 5 has had a rocky start to the 2023 season, with her best outing so far coming at the Adelaide International 1, where she reached the semifinals before losing to Linda Noskova.
Gracheva has produced some promising performances over the past three months, reaching the final of the ATX Open and most recently, the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. She qualified for the main draw of the Miami Open and booked her place in the second round with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Maryna Zanevska.
Gracheva is capable of putting up a fight against Jabeur. However, the Tunisian's quality should be able to see her take the win and reach the third round of the Miami Open.
Predicted Winner: Ons Jabeur.
#3 Barbora Krejcikova vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
16th seed Barbora Krejcikova will face Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round of the Miami Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Krejcikova winning their previous encounter 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Linz Open.
The Czech has produced some impressive performances so far this season, most notably winning her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Sasnovich, on the other hand, has won only four out of eight main draw matches so far this season.
Krejcikova will enter the match as the favorite to win and should be able to get past the Belarusian to book her place in the third round of the Miami Open.
Predicted Winner: Barbora Krejcikova.
#4 Sofia Kenin vs Anhelina Kalinina
Sofia Kenin will take on 28th seed Anhelina Kalinina in the second round of the Miami Open. This will be the second meeting between the two in the main draw of the WTA Tour, with Kenin winning their last encounter 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Hobart International.
Kenin is looking to make a resurgence and has produced some promising performances so far this season. The 24-year-old reached the second round of the Miami Open with a 6-0, 7-6(5) win over Storm Sanders.
Kalinina has won eight out of 14 matches so far this season, with her best performance being reaching the quarterfinals of the Hobart International. Kenin might be ranked lower than Kalinina at the moment but her form is improving and she has a good chance of beating the Ukrainian.
Predicted Winner: Sofia Kenin.
#5 Donna Vekic vs Madison Brengle
22nd seed Donna Vekic will face Madison Brengle in the second round of the Miami Open. It will be the third meeting between the two, with their head-to-head currently tied at 1-1.
Vekic has had a good start to the 2023 season with 11 wins out of 14 matches so far. She won the Monterrey Open while also reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Brengle, on the other hand, has won only 4 out of 11 main draw matches so far this season. She booked her place in the second round of the Miami Open after her first-round opponent Amanda Anisimova was forced to retire due to an injury.
Vekic beat Brengle 6-3, 6-1 in Linz and given her recent form, she should be able to beat the American once again and reach the third round in Miami.
Predicted winner: Donna Vekic