TennisSection previews the 2021 WTA Miami Open as Ashleigh Barty (1) meets Victoria Azarenka (14) in the Fourth Round on Monday, March 29th 2021.
Will Ashleigh Barty be able to continue wearing off the rust in her game with this being her third tournament back in over one year? Will Victoria Azarenka be able to utilize all of her experience and ability on the tennis court to cause the upset and get herself into the Quarter-finals of the 2021 Miami Open? Both players have been playing some good tennis here in Miami, but only one will be part of the last 8. Who will it be?
Victoria Azarenka put on a very solid performance in the Third Round, beating the also very experienced Angelique Kerber (24) in straight sets 7-5/6-2. Azarenka seems to be on top of her game here in Miami, and she will definitely be looking to take advantage of this form especially in this side of the draw where she can be more competitive. Azarenka will know that if she is able to reach the Quarter-finals, she is in a good spot to make her way to the Final as she can beat anyone left after the Fourth Round. How will the experience of Victoria Azarenka aid her as she meets the World No.1, Ashleigh Barty, on Monday at the Miami Open?
Ashleigh Barty cruised through her Third Round encounter against Jelena Ostapenko, winning easily in straight sets 6-3/6-2. Although Barty won easily, you can still tell there are some big parts of her game which are a bit rusty. Barty is usually on top of her game in all aspects, but with this just being her third tournament back, I would expect her to need to have at least another 5 matches under her belt to feel good. Barty will know she is going to have one of the toughest challenges she has had all week as she meets Victoria Azarenka on Monday. Will the World No.1 be able to fight off the experience of Azarenka to make her way to the Quarter-finals?
Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka have met twice before, with the head to head tied at 1-1 between them. The last time these two met was in 2019 at the Fed Cup where Ashleigh Barty won in straight sets 7-6/6-3. This is definitely going to be an exciting encounter as both players can win it if they are on top of their game. However, I think that Viktoria Azarenka will be in a better position here to get the job done as she is not rusty compared to Ashleigh Barty. I expect this to perhaps be a 3-setter, but just to be safe, the main prediction is for Viktoria Azarenka to win and book a spot in the Quarter-finals of the 2021 Miami Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Victoria Azarenka to win.
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