Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA 1000 Miami Open match.
Their previous meeting ended inconclusively. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won the opening set (7:5) against the Polish player in the second round in Abu Dhabi a month and a half ago, but when trailing 1:4 in the second, she withdrew due to injury.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Less than two weeks after that tournament, she returned to the court at a top-tier (1000) event in neighbouring Dubai, but it did not go well—she suffered a straightforward defeat to compatriot Liudmila Samsonova (2:6, 2:6). That injury likely played a role, and the younger Liudmila is currently ranked higher than both Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Magda Linette—she is 21st. Since then, the 33-year-old Pavlyuchenkova has not competed.
Magda Linette
Linette, meanwhile, played in four more tournaments after Abu Dhabi, though she never advanced beyond the round of 16. That happened at the WTA-1000 event in Doha, where she lost to Marta Kostyuk (No. 21) (4:6, 2:6). The only time she faced a top-20 opponent recently was in her last match in Indian Wells (second round), where she lost to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula (4:6, 2:6).
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Magda Linette Prediction
We cannot confidently back Pavlyuchenkova due to her long break and recent health issues. She may have fully recovered, but she lacks match practice. Linette is the safer option with a solid handicap.
