TennisSection previews the 2021 WTA Madrid Open as Naomi Osaka (2) meets Karolina Muchova in the Second Round on Sunday May 2nd, 2021.
This is set to be a very exciting match between two very talented players here at the 2021 WTA Madrid Open. Naomi Osaka is always a favorite to win and is truly a global superstar. However, her opponent Karolina Muchova is a very good player who has risen up the rankings recently. Can she cause the upset here in Madrid? Or will Osaka get the win as expected and march on into the Round of 16?
Naomi Osaka is one of the most popular athletes on the planet and is currently ranked #2 in the WTA world rankings. There were a lot of questions asked about her readiness for this event, given that she had not played a clay court match in almost two years and has struggled with consistency this year. However, she put those fears to rest with a composed straight-sets win over Misaki Doi in the First Round. Some rust was to be expected and she committed quite a few unforced errors, but was striking the ball very well and simply overpowered her countrywoman. Despite her recent struggles she is one of the top contenders for the title here at the 2021 WTA Madrid Open and will be the favorite here over Karolina Muchova.
Karolina Muchova is 24 years of age and is currently ranked a career-high #20 in the WTA rankings. Like her opponent Naomi Osaka, she has not played much tennis so far this season, and has had some inconsistent results. She announced herself on the world stage at the 2021 Australian Open, where she knocked out world number one Ashleigh Barty en route to the Semi-Finals. Muchova then took two months off before returning to the WTA Tour in Stuttgart, where she lost in the First Round. The Czech star will be looking to get her season back on track with a strong performance here, and was impressive in her 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Qiang Wang. However, she will be up against it here against Naomi Osaka, who is one of the best players in the world and enters this match as the underdog here at the 2021 WTA Madrid Open.
This will be the second time that the two players have played each other on the WTA Tour, with Naomi Osaka leading the head to head series 1-0. They last played each other in 2020 in Cincinnati, with Osaka coming from a set down to win. Both players have had similar years so far in 2020, with very inconsistent results. They are both coming off a long break from the tour, and will be desperate for a strong showing here at the 2021 Madrid Open. All things considered, I am going with Naomi Osaka to win this match. Karolina Muchova was more impressive in the First Round, but Osaka has a wealth of big tournament experience and I expect her to find a way to win here. It will likely be a very tight match, with the Japanese star coming away with the win here at the 2021 WTA Madrid Open.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win.
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