Will there be back-to-back Sunshine Doubles on the WTA Tour?
Iga Swiatek accomplished the feat last year, triumphing at both the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open. Twelve months later, Elena Rybakina is one win away from doing the same.
Rybakina will be looking to win both of the spring 1000-point hard-court events when she goes up against Petra Kvitova on Saturday afternoon in Miami. The Kazakh, who also won Wimbledon last summer, beat Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final and now faces another fellow huge hitter in Kvitova. This marks their third career contest, with the head-to-head series tied up at one win apiece. Rybakina prevailed 7-6(5), 6-4 last fall on the indoor hard courts of Ostrava before Kvitova got the job done 6-3, 7-5 at the beginning of this season in Adelaide.
Rybakina is is without question one of the three best player in the world right now along with Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In addition to Wimbledon and Indian Wells titles, the 23-year-old finished runner-up to Sabalenka at the Australian Open. So far this fortnight she has defeated Anna Kalinskaya, Paula Badosa, Elise Mertens, Martina Trevisan, and Jessica Pegula.
Ten years her opponent’s senior, Kvitova is playing like she is in her prime. The 12th-ranked Czech is 16-5 in 2023 with a quarterfinal performance in Indian Wells and Miami victories over Linda Noskova, Donna Vekic, Varvara Gracheva, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Sorana Cirstsea.
The pressure is definitely on Rybakina. She is a considerable favorite and has the Sunshine Double on the line. Kvitova can play freely and with confidence, knowing that she just took down the world No. 7 in Adelaide. Don’t be surprised if an upset is in the cards.
Pick: Kvitova in 3
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