With the second round of WTA play underway, and the adverse weather in Miami behind us for now, attention returns to the seeded players, with many of the top names in tennis in action in an exciting slate of matches. As always, we will be giving predictions for each and every match–but who do you think reaches the third round in Miami?

WTA Miami Day 4 Predictions
Karolina Muchova vs Camila Osorio

Head-to-head: First meeting

Camila Osorio picked up a very good win against Iva Jovic at Indian Wells and followed it up with a solid first-round performance here. However, on a faster court, her defensive scrambling is likely to be exposed by the variety and touch of Karolina Muchova, who herself should be far more comfortable in these conditions than she was in Indian Wells.
Prediction: Muchova in 2

Hailey Baptiste vs Liudmila Samsonova

Head-to-head: Baptiste 2-1 Samsonova

Despite Hailey Baptiste leading the head-to-head, this matchup largely sits on Liudmila Samsonova’s racket, as her fluctuating level and winner-to-unforced-error ratio often determine the outcome. The Russian has now lost four matches in a row on Tour, but all of them have gone to a third set. With her powerful game on the slick Miami courts, Samsonova looks due for a hard-fought win.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3

Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Lilli Tagger

Head-to-head: First meeting

Lilli Tagger has emerged as an exciting prospect on the WTA Tour, with her one-handed backhand a particular highlight. However, she is likely to be fatigued after a gruelling first-round battle. Combined with Ekaterina Alexandrova’s high-paced game, the Russian should have the upper hand in this matchup.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2

Elena Rybakina vs Yulia Putintseva

Head-to-head: Putintseva 2-1 Rybakina

Elena Rybakina begins her Miami Open campaign with an all-Kazakh clash against Yulia Putintseva, a matchup the latter has historically enjoyed. This has largely been due to Putintseva’s ability to compete in forehand-to-forehand exchanges against a previous version of Rybakina. While that history may give Putintseva some belief, it is unlikely she can trouble the current version of Rybakina, who is performing at the level of a top-two player in the world.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2

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