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Day 2 of the 2024 Miami Open will see players vying for a spot in the second round.
Two-time Major champion Simona Halep made her return to the tour on Tuesday. She faced Paula Badosa in the first round here but lost to her 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Spaniard will next face her good friend Aryna Sabalenka in the second round.
As for the Belarusian, she has been going through a tough time following the death of her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov. She has opted to compete rather than withdraw, though she won't be interacting with the media in any capacity after her matches.
Along with Badosa, Caroline Wozniacki, Taylor Townsend, and Brenda Fruhvirtova were among the other victors of the day. With more interesting matches lined up on Wednesday, here's a look at the predictions for some key clashes set for Day 2 of the Miami Open:
#1 - Sofia Kenin vs Katie Volynets
It has been a rather tough year for Kenin, who has won just one match across the seven tournaments she has competed in. She now arrives at the Miami Open on a six-match losing streak.
Volynets, on the other hand, has performed comparatively better than Kenin. She recently reached the third round of the Indian Wells Open and also the quarterfinals of the Hua Hin Championships prior to that.
Volynets was tested in both of her qualifying matches in Miami but overcame her opponents in three sets. While she lost her prior and only encounter against Kenin in San Diego last year, based on their current form, she'll be favored to beat the former Australian Open champion.
Predicted winner: Katie Volynets
#2 - Karolina Pliskova vs Donna Vekic
Pliskova had a bit of a resurgence a few weeks ago as she captured her first title in over four years at the Transylvania Open. She continued the momentum and reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open, followed by a third round showing in Dubai.
However, Pliskova then crashed out in the first round of the Indian Wells Open. The Czech reached the final of the Miami Open back in 2019 but lost to Ashleigh Barty.
Vekic has been a bit inconsistent this season and like Pliskova, made a first round exit from Indian Wells. Considering she has managed to defeat the Czech once in their eight main draw matches, her time at the Miami Open could be shortlived as well.
Predicted winner: Karolina Pliskova
#3 - Camila Giorgi vs Magdalena Frech
Giorgi has struggled to get going this season and has just two main draw wins to her name. Her first win came against Peyton Stearns at the start of the year. Her latest win was over Katie Boulter at Indian Wells.
Frech has thrice as many main draw wins compared to Giorgi this year. She also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and third round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
However, Frech is on a three-match losing streak at present. Neither player has a good record at the Miami Open either. Giorgi has just a couple of wins here from seven appearances, while the Pole has one victory from her two entries here.
Giorgi is the player with the better results throughout her career compared to Frech. The latter has performed better than the former this year but has been going through a rough patch of late. While this match is a bit of a toss-up given their form, the Italian is a safer bet to make it to the next round despite her current woes.
Predicted winner: Magdalena Frech
#4 - Danielle Collins vs Bernarda Pera
Collins is currently in the midst of a farewell tour as she prepares for a life beyond tennis. The Miami Open holds a special place in her heart as this is the tournament where she burst into the limelight with a semifinal run in 2018, her first big result on the WTA Tour.
Pera fell in the qualifying rounds of the Miami Open but got a second shot as a lucky loser and entered the main draw. She hasn't performed too well this year with just two main draw wins to her name thus far.
After the Australian Open, Collins has performed her best at the Miami Open. She'll be favored to make a winning start here given Pera's poor form at the moment.
Predicted winner: Danielle Collins
