Donna Vekić vs Karolina Pliskova Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Miami

Prediction published on 19/03/2024, 07:52  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

World number 34 Donna Vekic and world number 46 Karolina Pliskova will meet in the first round at the Miami Open. The winner will then set up a second-round showdown with 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. Donna Vekic is defending the over 60 points he earned last season in this event. Returning to Miami after a three-year absence, Vekic made the third round last year. The Croat, who has lost her last two matches, is coming off a second-round exit at Indian Wells. Vekic is having a shaky season. She has won eight matches and lost six times with five of her defeats coming on hard courts. The highlight of her season came on indoor hard courts in Linz where she made the semifinals. Vekic, who has defeated Pliskova twice before, has dropped to 35th in the live ranking.

Karolina Pliskova has dominated this ongoing series with Vekic and has claimed seven wins in nine meetings. Three of her wins have come on hard courts. The former world number one won their last encounter which took place on clay in Stuttgart last season. Pliskova is a former Miami Open finalist and hasn’t lost a first-round tie here since 2014. She produced a third-round finish last season. Pliskova has also lost her last two matches but she has performed far better than Vekic this season. The 31-year-old has won 12 times in 17 outings this season and seven of her wins have come on hard courts. Just like Vekic however, Pliskova’s highlight of the campaign was on an indoor hard court. The 17-time tour champion triumphed in Cluj to end a five-year wait for a tour title. Currently down to 48th in the live ranking, Pliskova also had a run to the semifinals in Doha.