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Match Details
Fixture: Sloane Stephens vs (19) Sorana Cirstea
Date: March 22
Tournament: Miami Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S.
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN & TVA
Sloane Stephens vs Sorana Cirstea preview
Sloane Stephens is set to lock horns with 19th seed Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the 2024 Miami Open on Friday (March 22).
The American kicked off her campaign in Miami against three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the first round, comprehensively winning the match 6-2, 6-3.
Stephens' season started with a couple of Round-of-32 defeats at the Brisbane and Hobart Internationals. She beat Olivia Gadecki and 14th seed Daria Kasatkina in the opening two rounds at the Australian Open but succumbed in the third round to Anna Kalinskaya in a grueling three-setter.
Stephens fell in the opening round in Qatar to Cirstea and the second round in Dubai to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. She reached the third round in Indian Wells last week but fell to Kasatkina in three sets in a rematch of their encounter earlier in the year in Australia.
Cristea also kicked off her 2024 campaign in Brisbane, losing in the second round to Linda Noskova. She then lost in the first round of the Adelaide International to sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko the following week. Seeded 22nd at the Australian Open, Cirstea suffered another opening-round defeat at the hands of Wang Yafan.
The Romanian picked up her first win of the season at the Abu Dhabi Open against Caroline Garcia with a scoreline of 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4. She beat third seed Maria Sakkari in the subsequent round, before falling to Kasatkina 6-2, 6-0. She reached the second round in Qatar, losing to top seed Swiatek.
Cirstea made the semifinals in Dubai, beating Sofia Kenin, Veronika Kudermetova, Donna Vekic, and Marketa Vondrousova, before ultimately falling in the last four to eventual champion Jasmine Paolini. She lost in the second round in Indian Wells to Stephens.
Sloane Stephens vs Sorana Cirstea head-to-head
Sloane Stephens and Sorana Cirstea have met four times on tour up until now, with honors split equally at two wins apiece. They've placed twice already this year, with Stephens winning their previous encounter in Indian Wells and Cirstea winning their opening match at the Qatar Open.
Sloane Stephens vs Sorana Cirstea odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Sloane Stephens vs Sorana Cirstea prediction
Stephens heads into the pair's second-round encounter on the back of a couple of impressive performances. She beat Cirstea in Indian Wells in straight sets just last week, bageling her in the first set to a 6-0, 7-5 win.
The World No. 41 looked equally solid in her first-round encounter with Kerber, winning 70% of points behind her first serve and breaking her opponent's serve four times.
Cirstea, meanwhile, had a great run to the last four in Dubai a couple of weeks ago which might have led to her early downfall at the BNP Paribas Open. The faster courts in Miami should likely assist Cirstea's game more considering her all-round game, particularly her ability to finish points at the net.
It will be a tight tussle to the finish, and it could ultimately boil down to who plays the important points better.
Pick: Sorana Cirstea in three sets.
