Aryna Sabalenka had no issues in her first match at the 2024 Miami Open, and in her second match, she'll play against Anhelina Kalinina.
It's been a very complicated week for Sabalenka, who endured a roller coaster of emotions in her private life. The tragedy that happened in Miami clearly left a mark on the Belarusian, who didn't smile much during her Miami Open match against Paula Badosa.
In many ways, she looked very calm, unusually calm compared to the fiery persona she tends to have. The tennis side of things looked fine as she was able to battle past Badosa in a pretty competitive match.
The goal is to bring the same effort to her second match against a player who can be tough. Kalinina downed Caroline Wozniacki in a spectacular battle that went on for a long time, so she might feel so sore after that one. I don't think it will matter that much, but let's see how the matchup unfolds.
Oddly enough, Kalinina and Sabalenka never played against each other. It's an interesting matchup on paper because the Ukrainian can hit pretty well and hits the corner rather nicely on her day.
Sabalenka is just a truck that bulldozes people on the court with a combination of power and precision. I think it will be impossible for Kalinina to really impose herself here, but then again, it depends on the world no. 2's approach.
She looked quite calm against Badosa, so I don't know if she's going to bring her fire or more of that calmer side.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Anhelina Kalinina | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 2 | Rank | 36 |
| 25 | Age | 27 |
| 14-3 | 2024 W/L | 6-8 |
| 374-177 | Career W/L | 350-200 |
Sabalenka is the better player overall, and I think that she'll be able to win the match. She looks clearly focused on her tennis, and the conditions certainly suit her style of play pretty well.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two sets.