Damien Kayat previews Maria Sakkari vs Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic vs Leylah Fernandez in the Selected Round of 64 Matches of the Miami Open, on 24 March 2023.
2023 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Miami Open
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 64 Matches – 24th March
Maria Sakkari 13/20 | Bianca Andreescu 12/10
This could prove to be a blockbuster in the round of 64 matches. The metronomic Sakkari continues to pick up excellent results despite lacking that killer instinct.
She is 15-6 for the year (with three semi-final appearances to her name). She was soundly beaten by Sabalenka in last week’s Indian Wells semi-final. Her form reminds me of Sabalenka in seasons past, unable to maintain her highest level for the duration of tournaments.
Still, Sakkari has started to develop a tidy little ‘Sunshine Double’ resume. She reached the final at Indian Wells last season and followed that up with a semi-final appearance this year. She also reached the semi-finals here in 2021 (more on that later).
The powerful and athletic Greek is able to penetrate the court despite the slower conditions (though it isn’t quite as slow in Miami). She went out at the first hurdle to Haddad Maia last year and will be keen to finally reach a final this calendar year (and surely add to that sole WTA title).
Bianca Andreescu’s story is the antithesis of the Sakkari narrative. The Greek’s career has been marked by crazy consistency but a lack of elite victories. Andreescu’s rollercoaster of a career is in desperate need of consistency.
But she does have the benefit of elite victories. 2019 was a banner year for the Canadian, who captured two WTA 1000 titles and her maiden Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows (one of those WTA 1000 titles coming at Indian Wells). But fate has really conspired against her since winning that fateful US Open.
A knee injury and the pandemic saw her miss out on 15 months of tennis. And she has really struggled to replicate her early form since. There have been glimpses of utter brilliance despite all the injuries and personal issues. She reached the final here in 2021 (meaning she has reached the final of both ‘Sunshine Double’ events).
And she managed to reach her first grass-court final in Bad Homburg last year. She is currently 6-6 for the year and struggling for consistency. But she showed character to beat fellow US Open champ Emma Radacanu in her opener.
Verdict: Andreescu to win – 12/10
This will be the 3rd meeting between these two. And if the other two are anything to go by: this could be a classic. The Canadian beat the Greek on these very courts in an epic semi-final showdown in 2021. The Greek returned the favour with a three-set victory at that season’s US Open.
They two are perfectly matched. Sakkari is more about ruthless power while Andreescu mixes power with deft touch and crazy variety (which tends to work in these conditions). I just have a feeling the Canadian could spring a surprise here. She enjoys rambunctious support here and has beaten the Greek on these courts previously.
Belinda Bencic 7/20 | Leylah Fernandez 21/10
Belinda Bencic has reached as high as number four in the world but will think she has somewhat underachieved given her ability. The highlights of her career include an Olympic Gold Medal and a semi-final run at the 2019 US Open.
But injury and erratic form has kept her from being an omnipresent threat in the upper echelons of the game. She actually enjoyed a solid 2022, reaching the semi-finals here and winning her maiden WTA clay-court title at the Charleston Open (cementing her all-court reputation in the process).
And she started 2023 like a woman possessed. She won in Adelaide before a creditable 4th round run at the Aussie Open. She then made it two out of three titles for the year by winning the Abu Dhabi Open. These impressive results saw her storm back into the top 10 for the first time in three years.
She was forced to withdraw from her Qatar quarterfinal with fatigue. She is coming here after suffering back-to-back defeats against Muchova and Teichmann. She also tweaked her back in that Indian Wells defeat to Teichmann.
Was the 2021 US Open final cursed? Both Leylah Fernanadez and Emma Radacanu have struggled to fulfil their massive potential since that surprise Grand Slam final.
To be fair to Fernandez, her plight has been somewhat less striking than that of Radacanu. She managed to defend her Monterrey Open title last year and showed some more Grand Slam nous with a quarterfinal run at Roland Garros.
That performance at Roland Garros should stand her in good stead on these relatively slow Miami surfaces. She looked imperious against Leia Tsurenko in her opening match, taking down the veteran Ukrainian in straight sets.
The lefty has only reached one quarterfinal this year (at her opening event in Auckland). She looked good at Indian Wells, pushing Caroline Garcia to three sets. Could this be the week for the talented Canadian to unleash her full potential again?
Verdict: Fernandez to win in three – 3/1
These two actually share an exciting rivalry, sharing the head-to-head spoils with two wins apiece. They actually met three times last year. Fernandez got the better of Bencic at the French Open before Bencic won a nail-biter at the Guadalajara Open. The Swiss then won in straight sets at the Billie Jean King Cup.
I think there could be a shock in this encounter. Fernandez beat Bencic at Roland Garros last year and these surfaces are not lightning quick. Also, the Canadian looked impressive in her first match while Bencic comes in under a slight injury cloud.
