After a great run at IW, we follow Emma to Florida for the Miami Masters. Presented by Itau it will return to hard rock stadium at Miami gardens as the second event in the sunshine double.
I reckon Emma would be 40:60 to beat Andreescu and 30:70 to beat Sakkari - though I would have given similar odds for her to beat Linette and Haddad-Maia as well and look how that turned out. 🙂
I don’t get the desire for her to have an easy draw. Especially when people still try to use her U.S. Open draw to minimize her achievement. She had a bad back last time she faced Bibi, and we already know that she can beat Sakkari. I doubt Emma is especially worried.
We worry a 1000 times more than Emma! That's our job! Emma only has to win the matches: we do all the real work! You look at Emma, at changeovers, she looks like she's watching a peaceful movie; if you saw any of us, well, just let's say: it wouldn't be a pretty sight!
Stearns won the first set vs Peterson 6-2, and i's 4-4 in the second set.
I watched her match against Bianca and was very impressed by her. Bianca played well and it was hard earned win. Peterson also in great form.
She's not playing anyone in oustanding form until the SF. It's a decent draw. At some point, if she is going to be the player we all think she can be, then most of these will be routine wins at some point along her career path.
Two of the only players I love on this godforsaken tour facing off in the first round On the plus side we will (hopefully) get to see a full match between these two uninjured, and on hard! I wasn't keen on their Rome match even before it started since it's neither of their best surface. Popcorn match if there ever was one 🍿
I'm not sure how to feel about the match itself, it's one of those that's definitely winnable for both if they play well. There's been times this year when I've been impressed by Bibi's level, and others where I've been pretty underwhelmed. She's definitely playing better than she did last year, but she's beaten one top 50 opponent in 2013 in Bouzkova (25) and every other top 50 opponent has beaten her in straights. There's signs though that she was coming back into some form against Swiatek.
I don't think their match at Rome last year was any representation of how good Emma can be, or how good Andreescu can be either. It should be a good watch, but on recent form, I'd probably back Emma in 3.