Emma Raducanu news: Top Brit handed tough Miami Open draw

WTA Tour

James Richardson
March 21, 2022

Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been handed a tough draw for the Miami Open.

With 27 of the world’s top 30 players turning out, there was never likely to be an easy path to the second week for Raducanu.

Radacanu finds herself in a stacked top quarter of the draw that includes top seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka has a first-round bye and will meet either Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania or American wildcard Hailey Baptiste in the second round.

Raducanu will also need to be wary of underestimating her first opponent, which will be either Katerina Siniakova or a qualifier.

The 11th seed has a potential date with former World No 1 Simona Halep in the round of 32.

Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova could meet Raducanu or Halep in the fourth round, should she make it that far.

Anett Kontaveit heads up the second quarter of the Miami Open draw.

Kontaveit is still a tremendous 43-8 since last August despite her early exit from Indian Wells and she will face either Ann Li or Mayar Sherif in the second round.

Former World No 1s Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber also loom in Kontaveit’s quarter, as does 18th seed Leylah Fernandez, last year’s US Open runner-up.

A struggling Osaka will face Astra Sharma in the first round, with the winner going on to take on Kerber.

If we are forgiven conjecture, Fernandez could await the victor in the third round, if she can get past the winner of the all-Czech battle between Karolina Muchova and Tereza Martincova in the second round.

Ninth seed Danielle Collins is the top-ranked American following her run to the Australian Open final earlier this year.

Collins could be in for a Round-of-16 clash against Ons Jabeur, seeded eighth.

Fourth and fifth seeds Maria Sakkari and Paula Badosa would make an intriguing quarterfinal but they have work to do to make it happen.

Badosa could meet former World No 1 Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 16.

Azarenka has enjoyed plenty of success in Miami, winning the title three times, in 2009, 2011, and 2016.

While Azarenka is the most recent player to pull off the “Sunshine Double” in women’s singles, claiming Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in 2016, she suffered an emotional breakdown in her last outing.

Sakkari meanwhile, could face either 26th seed Madison Keys or 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the third round.

If Sakkari gains the Round of 16, she will face whoever comes out of a packed section featuring 2018 Miami champion Sloane Stephens, 16th seed Jessica Pegula, and 17th seed Elena Rybakina.

In the fourth quarter of the draw, Iga Swiatek will try to keep her undefeated record at WTA 1000 events this season alive and complete the Sunshine Double.

Swiatek will face either Viktorija Golubic or a qualifier in the second round, and could face 14th seed and strong local hope Coco Gauff in the Round of 16.

Garbiñe Muguruza is also is in the fourth quarter, and she could square off against 28th seed Petra Kvitova in the third round while 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko, the 2018 Miami runner-up, could await in the Round of 16.

Aryna Sabalenka Emma Raducanu Iga Swiatek