Miami Open 2024 Day 3: Women's singles predictions ft. Maria Sakkari vs Yuan Yue
The bottom half of the women's draw will take to the court at the 2024 Miami Open on Thursday.
Naomi Oon Thursdaysaka made a winning return at the venue as she scored a 6-3, 6-4 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opener. Sloane Stephens came out on top in a battle between Major champions as she defeated Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3.
However, not all Grand Slam winners made it through as Sofia Kenin was sent home by Katie Volynets. Former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins fought past Bernarda Pera to reach the second round. She was joined by fellow Americans Shelby Rogers and Claire Liu in the winner's circle.
All seeded players received a bye into the second round and are now set to compete from Thursday onwards. On that note, here's a look at the predictions for some of the main singles matches lined up on Day 3 of the Miami Open:
#1 - Maria Sakkari vs Yuan Yue
After a rather slow start to the season, Sakkari notched up her best result thus far with a runner-up finish at the Indian Wells Open. It was her second final in three years at the venue. She defeated some quality players like Caroline Garcia, Emma Navarro, and Coco Gauff to reach the title round.
Sakkari then lost to Iga Swiatek in the final, just like she had a couple of years ago. Yuan has been on a hot streak over the past few weeks. She claimed her maiden WTA title at the ATX Open and followed it up with a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells, her first time at a WTA 1000 event.
Yuan scored an easy 6-4, 6-2 win over Anna Blinkova to begin her Miami Open campaign. With two in-form players set to clash, this match-up is likely to deliver on all fronts. Sakkari's the favorite as the higher-ranked player with better results but Yuan's recent resurgence could stop the Greek dead in her tracks.
Predicted winner: Maria Sakkari
#2 - Jelena Ostapenko vs Laura Siegemund
Ostapenko had a hot start to the season as she captured titles in Adelaide and Linz, both WTA 500-level tournaments. She also reached the doubles final of the Australian Open. Her results pushed her back into the top 10 of the rankings as well.
However, Ostapenko seems to have slowed down after a sizzling start. She reached the third round of the WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai and lost to Kerber in the second round of the Indian Wells Open.
Siegemund lost just a couple of games across both of her qualifying matches to book her spot in the Miami Open main draw. She trailed Aleksandra Krunic by a set in the first round but staged a comeback for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win.
Siegemund had a decent record against the top 10 players for about two years as she went 9-6 against them until May 2017. Since then, she has lost 13 of her 14 matches against them, with her only win coming courtesy of her opponent's retirement. Ostapenko, even during her rough patch, will be the favorite to win this match.
Predicted winner: Jelena Ostapenko
#3 - Madison Keys vs Diana Shnaider
Keys was sidelined due to an injury for most of the season and played her very first match at the Indian Wells Open, where she reached the third round. Shnaider commenced her Miami Open run with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Venus Williams.
The Russian also reached the final of a Challenger event in Charleston before that, which she lost to Cocciaretto. Keys hasn't had the best time at the Miami Open. It was just last year that she scored her first win at the venue since 2017.
Shnaider has played at a good level this year but has been a bit inconsistent. Nevertheless, she has more wins under her belt and has been battle-tested, unlike Keys. This does give her a slight edge in this match-up. Only the American's quick turnaround in form can help her make it through this clash.
Predicted winner: Diana Shnaider
#4 - Zheng Qinwen vs Katerina Siniakova
Zheng reached her maiden Major final at the Australian Open a couple of months ago but lost to Aryna Sabalenka. She hasn't done much since then, with a quarterfinal in Dubai being her best result after her Melbourne run.
Zheng was upset by Yuan Yue in the second round of the Indian Wells Open. Siniakova bested Ana Bogdan 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Miami Open. She'll now be aiming to win consecutive matches for the first time since the Qatar Open.
Siniakova already defeated a top 10 player this year, with World No. 3 Gauff being her victim just last month. With Zheng not being at her very best, the Czech will be eager to claim another high-profile scalp.
However, Siniakova is quite inconsistent, which could give Zheng just enough time to regroup and turn the match in her favor. The Chinese youngster will be eager to prove herself yet again, and she has the game and determination to get out of her current slump.
Predicted winner: Zheng Qinwen