Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA 1000 Dubai match.
A thrilling second-round clash in Dubai sees Wimbledon 2023 champion Markéta Vondroušová take on 17-year-old rising star Mirra Andreeva. Both players cruised through their opening-round matches, but Andreeva holds a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head, having defeated Vondroušová (7:5, 6:1) in Madrid 2024. However, if Vondroušová is fully fit, she is more than capable of pushing the young Russian.
Markéta Vondroušová
Since her Wimbledon triumph, injuries have stalled her momentum, forcing her to miss nearly six months of action. However, she is gradually regaining form, and in Dubai’s first round, she dominated Caroline Garcia (6:2, 6:2), winning 60% of return points on her opponent’s first serve. Her serve has been reliable—she has hit 20 aces in her last five matches.
Mirra Andreeva
The young Russian continues to rise rapidly, breaking into the WTA top 15. She claimed her first WTA title on clay in Romania last season but is yet to make a major breakthrough at top-tier tournaments. In round one, Andreeva dismantled Elina Avanesyan (6:2, 6:1) in just 62 minutes, not dropping a single service game in set two. However, she is known for inconsistency and unforced errors—in nine of her last matches, she has hit at least three double faults. She also tends to play longer matches, with four of her last six encounters going to a decider.
Markéta Vondroušová vs Mirra Andreeva Prediction
Vondroušová is improving and has already defeated Emma Raducanu, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Yulia Putintseva this season. Given Andreeva’s tendency for three-set battles, the Czech star should take at least one set.
