Miami Open WTA Draw Preview
Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek emerged as the top favorite to win the Miami Open at BetUS Sportsbook. The Polish starlet is looking to become the first person since Victoria Azarenka to complete the “Sunshine Double” as she kicks off her Miami Open campaign, but with some of the biggest and brightest stars of the game competing in Miami this week, she will be made to work hard to pull off the feat.
Can Swiatek come through on her favorable tennis odds or is there another player worth betting on in Miami? We preview the Miami Open draw and serve up some of our best bet tennis predictions.
First Quarter: Sabalenka’s Quarter
Belarusia’s Aryna Sabalenka is the top-seeded player in Miami this week, but with her recent spate of poor results, her odds to win the tournament don’t correspond to her high seed. At least five players were favored in the tennis betting markets above Sabalenka, who entered the tournament in quadruple obscurity (+1600).
Sabalenka’s corner is flanked by sixth seed Karolina Pliskova. Similarly, Pliskova’s form is a big question mark. The big-serving Czech is only making her second appearance at a tournament this season after recovering from a wrist injury. Her Indian Wells sojourn was cut short, falling in her opening match to Danka Kovinic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
This is one of the most loaded quarters in the draw with Indian Wells semifinalist Simona Halep lurking in this section. Indeed, Halep is the second favorite to win in Miami after Swiatek, considering the Romanian fell to her Polish counterpart in a hard-fought 7-6 (6), 6-4 loss.
That said, it’s worth noting that there are some question marks about Halep’s fitness after she was seen practicing with tape on her thigh. It’s impossible to tell how serious her injury (if at all) is.
Simona Halep at practice today in Miami. Still a lot of tape on her thigh, which worries me. But hopefully she is getting better and will have a good run in Miami. She will start with a R2 match against Daria Saville.
Source: @MiamiOpen #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/d7WWSTjoKs
— Romanian Tennis (@WTARomania) March 22, 2022
Elsewhere, 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, gold medalist Belinda Bencic, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and power-player Camila Giorgi present various stumbling blocks along the way. Anyone of these players could usurp either Sabalenka or Pliskova if the opportunity presents itself.
Second Quarter: Kontaveit’s Quarter
Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit strike’s an unassuming pose in the betting. The 24-year-old is one to spot according to Miami Open futures markets, but she doesn’t command the kind of currency with tennis bettors that some of her better known rivals. That said, she’s in a relatively wide-open section of the draw with Tunis’ Ons Jabeur flanking the opposite end.
If there’s a section to fall into, the second quarter of the draw would be it. Naomi Osaka is contained in the mix, but the Japanese star is having a tough time finding her championship winning form. Veronika Kudermetova beat Osaka in the second round at Indian Wells 6-0, 6-4.
“I want to play the least amount of tournaments as possible” Naomi Osaka Indian Wells 2022 *crying shacking throwing up* pic.twitter.com/CbCHHZIEbt
— theo (@divinesabalenka) March 12, 2022
Others in this corner include 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, France’s Alize Cornet, three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and American Danielle Collins, who reached the final at the Australian Open earlier this year.
This is a wide-open section, offering each one of these players a chance to reach the quarterfinals or better. Collins may well be the one to watch here as the home favorite and dangerous floater who could shake things up.
Third Quarter: Sakkari’s Quarter
Greece’s Maria Sakkari is coming off a loss to Iga Swiatek on Sunday, losing 6-4, 6-1 in the final of the BNP Paribas Open. How Sakkari bounces back from the bitter disappointment remains to be seen, but oddsmakers give her reasonable odds to win the tournament.
Sakkari,seeded fourth, entered the tournament as the +1400 bet, level with No. 5 seed Paula Badosa who fell in the opposite corner of this quarter. Badosa failed to defend her Indian Wells Open crown last Friday in a loss to (ironically) Sakkari. Although Badosa did put up a good fight, she ultimately succumbed to Sakkari 4-6, 6-4, 1-6 in the semis.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula is en fuego in the Australian Open. Defeats Sakkari in straight sets. #AO2022
After losing the first set of her first match, she’s now won 8!!! straight sets on the way to 4 victories!
pic.twitter.com/RDTWlMWqB3— Trainwreck Sports (@TrainwreckSprts) January 23, 2022
Elise Mertens, Marketa Vondrousova and Victoria Azarenka are just some of the stumbling blocks in this section for either of these two top seeds. As well, Americans Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are thrown into the mix along with Sloane Stephens and this trio will be eager to fly the American flag.
Fourth Quarter: Swiatek’s Quarter
Iga Swiatek is the player to spot in this section and the broader spectrum of the tournament. The Polish star is riding an 11-game winning streak into Miami after winning the Qatar Open and BNP Paribas Open in succession. She’s the most consistent in the women’s game right now without a doubt.
Swiatek’s quarter is bookended by Garbine Muguruza, who entered the tournament as a contender but with slightly larger odds than normal. That’s likely down to her performance in Indian Wells. Muguruza crashed out of her opening match in stunning fashion, losing to Alison Riske after dominating the American in the first set (6-0, 3-6, 1-6).
Petra Kvitova is drawn into this quarter, but the Czech doesn’t deal with humid conditions very well on account of her asthma. Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova is also in this quarter and she’ll be looking to extend her positive form after reaching the quarters in Indian Wells.
In addition, American teenager Coco Gauff (+2800) and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko are dangerous floaters that could shake up the draw.
