2024 WTA Miami

[spystud]

Main draw is out, 32 byes again.

Draw pdf

FlashScore live draw

Angie v. Sloane in R1, winner gets Sorana.

Poll will be up later. Play begins Tuesday morning.

 

[spystud]

Monday’s qualie action.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

The return of Halep. After 18 months out thanks to the doping saga, she's in with a wildcard.

Opens 1R against Badosa who's using a Protected Ranking. Winner of that one gets a brutal 2R against #2 Sabalenka.

 

[coolcamden]

Gauff has an easy quarter again.

Raducanu may not get out of 1R. Wang is good.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Venus vs Keys R2 if Venus can get out of R128

 

[D-Lite]

Main draw is out, 32 byes again.

Draw pdf

FlashScore live draw

Angie v. Sloane in R1, winner gets Sorana.

Poll will be up later. Play begins Tuesday morning.

Really keen to see Sloane vs Angie. Stephens leads the H2H 5-2 (4-2 in completed matches spanning 12 years). They have only ever played completed matches at majors and 1000 events so this tradition continues. Stephens has played Cirstea 2x in recent weeks (1 win apiece).

 

[D-Lite]

Gauff has an easy quarter again.

Raducanu may not get out of 1R. Wang is good.

She lost to Wang Xinyu in 2021 right after the USO and Wang Yafan at this year's AO so I doubt she will have her guard down in this matchup.

 

[spystud]

So many Wangs.

 

[Connor35]

Anyone know what days the top vs. the bottom half plays?
I have stadium tickets friday night and was just curious if I'm going to see Iga or Sabalenka's half.

 

[robyrolfo]

Gauff has an easy quarter again.

Shocked! I'm shocked! An easy draw for Gauff? I've never seen such a thing...

Meanwhile, Giorgi (and Swiatek) both with awful round 2 draws. Hmmm...

Venus vs Keys R2 if Venus can get out of R128

Venus has to beat Schneider in round 1, which will not be easy. But I believe Schneider is more of a power player, which might be a decent fit for Venus in her current state.

So many Wangs.

The WTA should really encourage them to adopt nomes d'arte.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Noskova and Giorgi in the same Swiatek section again??

If Badosa can go two matches without breaking down, Sabalenka might be in a spot of early bother there. What am I thinking? Sabalenka to go through.

I can't get used to Katie Boulter having a number next to her name. Looks really odd (even though it's even).

 

[robyrolfo]

Noskova and Giorgi in the same Swiatek section again??

If Badosa can go two matches without breaking down, Sabalenka might be in a spot of early bother there. What am I thinking? Sabalenka to go through.

I can't get used to Katie Boulter having a number next to her name. Looks really odd (even though it's even).

Yeah, it's almost as if it isn't pure coincidence.

And no, Badosa cannot go two matches without breaking down. If by some miracle she does, she will roll over against Sabalenka for sure.

Yes, Boulter seeded looks odd. But hey, it's 2024 and Yastremka is seeded (after floundering around in qualifiers for the past couple of years), as is Keys (plays one good event per year lately), as is Potopova (a player with no weapons, an highly inconsistent), as is Mertens (a solid player that is absolute no threat to anyone higher ranked), as is Fernandez (can't remember the last time she looked like a true threat)...

 

[Devil_dog]

Oh man, the Sloane vs. Angie match should be juicy.

And, of course, the Simona vs. Paula match will be a must watch... Hella first match back for Simona, imho.

 

[spystud]

Anyone know what days the top vs. the bottom half plays?
I have stadium tickets friday night and was just curious if I'm going to see Iga or Sabalenka's half.

FlashScore shows bottom playing tomorrow, so that should be top on Friday.

 

[spystud]

Qualie results.

Osorio hasn’t done anything recently.

 

[Connor35]

FlashScore shows bottom playing tomorrow, so that should be top on Friday.

great

Frech and Giorgi,(winner gets #1 Iga) Play Wednesday . So I hopefully that means that winner will play Iga on Friday

 

[spystud]

Likely.

Don’t know who Maria Lourdes Carle is, but she beat Dart to end qualies today.

 

[russellg]

Raducanu has pulled out due to a lower back injury. Does make one wonder if she will ever have a full season without injury.

 

[FernandoBiH]

Sabalenka's boyfriend passed away? WTF?!

 

[spystud]

Damn, she was just joking about him on Instagram the other day. Didn’t realize he was 42.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1769847496455438803

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Not to worry, Raducanu fans, I'm sure she'll be given wild cards and comfy draws as soon as she's ready to compete again, so she can quickly move up the rankings.
Seriously, she should just voluntarily start building her game, endurance and confidence from the ground up, by returning to the Challenger circuit.
There's no shame in it, and many careers reemerged from this (Agassi, for instance). This is just lazy and pathetic.

 

[spystud]

Tomorrow’s Grandstand action.

@MichaelNadal

 

[coolcamden]

Raducanu has pulled out due to a lower back injury. Does make one wonder if she will ever have a full season without injury.

Oh Geezzzz…

 

[Fabresque]

It’s important to note that Sabalenka’s boyfriend passing is currently unconfirmed. There have been news sources from Russia and Belarus reporting it but nothing is concrete.

That being said, she did delete all of her Instagram stories from today. If true this is absolutely devastating news.

 

[robyrolfo]

Now that we are back in Miami, I am reminded of the fun little run that Andreescu had last year. She was looking super hot in her teal spandex outfit, and playing pretty well too, until it all ended in tears.

And come to think of it, we haven't seen much of her since then. What's her current status?

Raducanu has pulled out due to a lower back injury. Does make one wonder if she will ever have a full season without injury.

A full season? How about a full swing or section of the calendar? How about 3 consecutive events?

Honestly, I don't think all of these withdrawals are actually physical injuries. Remember how she exited Wimbledon the year she won the US Open? I think she has anxiety issues. Nothing wrong with that, but not very helpful for high level tennis.

Damn, she was just joking about him on Instagram the other day. Didn’t realize he was 42.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1769847496455438803

If this is true, it's indeed a crazy story. And one really has to wonder, as that is a young age to pass away. Could be related to having played a very rough sport, could be related to his passport... who knows?

Not to worry, Raducanu fans, I'm sure she'll be given wild cards and comfy draws as soon as she's ready to compete again, so she can quickly move up the rankings.
Seriously, she should just voluntarily start building her game, endurance and confidence from the ground up, by returning to the Challenger circuit.
There's no shame in it, and many careers reemerged from this (Agassi, for instance). This is just lazy and pathetic.

Agree 100%. She has zero financial pressure on her, so she really should reset everything and get started the right way.

 

[spystud]

Bianca was calling IW for somebody, probably a Canadian station.

 

[spystud]

Poll is up.

Willing to bet Aryna withdraws though.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Awful news about Sabalenka. What an utterly dreadful thing to happen to her.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Dunno if I'll be up to watch Venus, I work till 7am, 11-12 is a horrible start time right in the middle of my sleep

 

[HarveyPitnik]

Poll is up..

"One of the Wangs"!?!

Obviously had to pick up that. (I'm so disappointed if Swiatek gets another triumph in Miami. )

Is Saba's boyfriend's case now confirmed? Maybe all this was "in the air" as her last tournaments were not on the level in which she was for a long time earlier. Anyway, so sad for her and so sad for WTA if she needs time off (or plays half-hearted).

 

[tennis4me]

Wow, 2 WC goes to the Fruhvirtova sisters. Good luck. Venus still gets a WC as well? Let's see how far she gets.

 

[milk of amnesia]

It’s important to note that Sabalenka’s boyfriend passing is currently unconfirmed. There have been news sources from Russia and Belarus reporting it but nothing is concrete.

That being said, she did delete all of her Instagram stories from today. If true this is absolutely devastating news.

It looks like it is true:

https://www.reuters.com/sports/nhl/...ent-suicide-miami-dade-police-say-2024-03-19/

Former NHL player Koltsov dies in 'apparent suicide', Miami-Dade police say​

By Steve Keating
March 19, 202411:28 AM CDTUpdated 2 min ago



MIAMI, March 19 (Reuters) - Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, died in an "apparent suicide" the Miami-Dade police department said on Tuesday.
Police said in a statement sent to Reuters that they had responded to a call on Monday at a Miami resort about reports of a man jumping off a balcony.
"At approximately 12:39 a.m., Bal Harbour Police and Fire Rescue were dispatched to the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, 9703 Collins Avenue, in reference to a male that jumped from a balcony," said the Miami Dade police department.

Ex-NHLer Koltsov, boyfriend of Sabalenka, dies

Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42.

www.espn.com

Konstantin Koltsov, boyfriend of Aryna Sabalenka, dies at 42​

Mar 19, 2024, 12:06 AM ET


Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died, Russian club Salavat Yulaev said in a statement Tuesday. He was 42.
Koltsov played for the Belarus national team in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and spent parts of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 and 2006.
"It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away," Salavat Yulaev, which is based in the Russian city of Ufa, said in the statement. "He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club.
"May he rest in peace."
Renowned for his speed on the ice, Koltsov won the Russian Super League title with Salavat Yulaev in 2008 and more recently returned to the club as an assistant coach.
Sabalenka and Koltsov were first linked in June 2021, according to People magazine, and the world No. 2 has frequently posted photos of them together on her Instagram account.
Koltsov also applauded Sabalenka after the Belarusian won her second consecutive Australian Open title in January.
Sabalenka lost in the last 16 at Indian Wells last week and is scheduled to play her first match at the Miami Open on Friday.

 

[ScottleeSV]

I thought Sabalenka's draw was rough this time yesterday. Now she's decided to play though, I think it's a good draw.

If she plays Halep, at least half the attention will be on her opponent. If she plays Badosa then her good friend can sort of help her through the experience.

Imagine if she'd drawn a snarling Kostyuk, ready to stick the boot in like a circling vulture (or a remorseless Ostapenko). Maybe in those circumstances Sabalenka might have been tempted to pull out.

 

[coolcamden]

OMG. VW’s lip stick is BRIGHT!

Broken right away.

 

[ktx]

So many Wangs.

they have my vote!

 

[coolcamden]

0-2 down to 3-2 up.

 

[ktx]

Aryna says she'll play but do no press. I'll be surprised if she makes it through her matches in one piece. Poor girl, what a nightmare.

 

[coolcamden]

they have my vote!

Which one, Lol

 

[ktx]

Serena is watching V!

 

[ktx]

Which one, Lol

It's a collective vote of support.

 

[robyrolfo]

OMG. VW’s lip stick is BRIGHT!

Broken right away.

Lipstick was definitely the first thing I noticed when she walked out.

This might indeed be a good matchup for her (as I suggested), since Shnaider doesn't seem to move much better.

 

[marc45]

what is Venus getting out of this?

 

[Grizzy]

Now that we are back in Miami, I am reminded of the fun little run that Andreescu had last year. She was looking super hot in her teal spandex outfit, and playing pretty well too, until it all ended in tears.

And come to think of it, we haven't seen much of her since then. What's her current status?

Much agreed, best outfit of the season last year!

Unfortunately she's still recovering from injury and attempting to return soon. She mentioned the French open swing as her goal for return. The tour is much less fun without Bianca

 

[robyrolfo]

what is Venus getting out of this?

What do people get out of playing in their local USTA leagues? Some people just enjoy competing in sports, no matter what the level or what is on the line. And this still seems to be more or less Venus' level.

 

[ScottleeSV]

What do people get out of playing in their local USTA leagues? Some people just enjoy competing in sports, no matter what the level or what is on the line. And this still seems to be more or less Venus' level.

250s, maybe.

When was the last time Venus had any kind of run at a W1000?

Edited to add - I looked into it.

So she last won one of these in 2015. Since then she's played 32 of them, reaching 2 semi finals and 5 quarter finals in the process. The last of the quarter final runs was in 2019. I would presume the W/L match ratio is in the negative since 2015, and certainly since 2019.

 

[spystud]

3 & 3 for Shnaider.

 

[robyrolfo]

My god, Siniakova is such a cutie. Bogdan is also a very, very nice looking woman. But Siniakova is a darling.

250s, maybe.
When was the last time Venus had any kind of run at a W1000?
Edited to add - I looked into it.
So she last won one of these in 2015. Since then she's played 32 of them, reaching 2 semi finals and 5 quarter finals in the process. The last of the quarter final runs was in 2019. I would presume the W/L match ratio is in the negative since 2015, and certainly since 2019.

Fair enough. I was talking more generally, like the WTA tour level, but yes, smaller events would probably be better for her. Even challengers.

 

[tennis4me]

It's good to see Venus still has so much interest in competing, but not good to have her compete at these premium 1000 tournaments using WC and losing in R1 or R2. She has lost in mostly R1 in at least the last 8 tournaments she entered - all with WC.

 

[spystud]

4-1 Caro over Burel in the black-&-white Adidas battle.

 

[Bill Lobsalot]

Woz is making a strong comeback. Some call her a pusher, but she has great point strategy. Winning the first set easily over Burel.