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Bacsinszky leads the tour-level meetings against Makarova by 3-1. The sole win the Russian has over Bacsinszky came in 2007 (Luxembourg). Their last two meetings have gone to the decider with the Swiss coming out on top at the end (Indian Wells, 2015 and Madrid, 2016).
Ekaterina Makarova News
Ekaterina Makarova has been running into tough opponents this season. Her last three losses have come against Top 10 players, Halep (Doha), Garcia (Dubai) and Kerber (Indian Wells).
With just five wins in six tournaments, she is yet to advance beyond the second round in any of them. She has suffered a couple of close losses this season, to Begu at Melbourne (going down 6-8 in decider) and to Kerber last fortnight (losing from a set up).
For the first time since 2012, Makarova, a former Top 10 player, will be unseeded at Miami. She is a former quarterfinalist (2016) and has reached the last 16 of the event six times. She has also won Miami doubles title twice with Elena Vesnina (2014-2015).
Timea Bacsinszky News
Timea Bacsinszky’s hopes to have a decent comeback into the tour after her right-hand surgery (Sept 2017) has not been materialized. She lost to #450 Elena Rybakina at St. Petersburg and, at Indian Wells, lost a three-setter to Qiang Wang.
Bacsinszky last played at Miami in 2016 when she reached the semifinals (best Miami result), defeating Ana Ivanovic, Radwanska and Halep. She did not play in 2017 after she retired from the Indian Wells the previous fortnight due to left-wrist injury.
Tennis Prediction: Ekaterina Makarova to win the match
Odds: 1.50
