Miami Open 2022: Belinda Bencic vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (22) Belinda Bencic vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Date: 28 March 2022

Tournament: Miami Open

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)

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 Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview

22nd seed Belinda Bencic will take on Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the fourth round of the 2022 Miami Open on Monday. While Bencic eased past Heather Watson 6-4, 6-1, Sasnovich prevailed over Irina-Camelia Begu 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4 to make the round of 16.

After faltering at the first hurdle in Indian Wells, Bencic is looking to wrap up the Sunshine Double on a high. Having made the last eight in Sydney and St. Petersburg earlier this season, the Swiss is now bidding to qualify for her maiden quarterfinal at the Miami Open. She came into the tournament with a dismal win-loss record of 5-5 but looked confident in her straight-sets wins over Marta Kostyuk and Heather Watson.

A slew of upsets have left Bencic as the sole remaining seed in the upper half of the draw. Currently ranked No. 28, the Olympic gold medalist will be keen to capitalize on the opportunity to re-enter the top 20.

Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the 2022 Qatar Total Energies Open

Aliaksandra Sasnovich, meanwhile, started the season with a third WTA final in the Melbourne Summer Set, which she lost to Amanda Anisimova in three sets. The Belarusian later made her second quarterfinal of the year in St. Petersburg, where she lost to Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.

At the 2022 Miami Open, the 28-year-old has already staged her best run at the tournament. She has dropped just one set in three matches and will be looking to bag her second win over Bencic in the fourth round.

Belinda Bencic vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head

The sole meeting between Bencic and Sasnovich took place at the 2018 US Open, where the latter triumphed in three sets. Sasnovich, therefore, leads the head-to-head 1-0.

Belinda Bencic vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich prediction

Bencic's superior ranking and CV makes her the favorite for this match. Aliaksandra Sasnovich, on her part, is riding a wave of momentum this week and has already upset a seed in Daria Kasatkina. Both women are aggressive baseliners, so we can expect some fast-paced exchanges between them.

Bencic in action at the 2022 Miami Open

The serve could prove to be a differentiating factor in the match. While both women have conceded a worrying number of break points in their previous matches, Sasnovich's untimely double faults are cause for concern. In her match against Irina-Camelia Begu, the Belarusian faltered 10 times on her second serve and had a break point conversion rate of just 56%.

If Bencic can stay quick on her feet and attack Sasnovich's vulnerable serve, she should be able to eke out a win.

Prediction: Belinda Bencic to win in three sets.