Amanda Anisimova ended Mirra Andreeva’s 13-match winning streak with an exhilarating 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3 victory.
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Miami Open
Miami Gardens, Miami, Florida (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 16 Matches- 24th March
Amanda Anisimova (17) 0.52 vs Emma Radacanu 1.48
It was Anisimova’s 10th victory over a top ten player and denied the Russian a shot at becoming the first teenager to ever complete the magical ‘Sunshine Double’. Anisimova played her best tennis when she needed it most, converting all four break points in the final set. This has been a somewhat surreal campaign for the American baseliner. She started the season in ordinary fashion, withdrawing from the Hobart quarters before an early Aussie Open exit (more on that later). But then she produced her biggest performance since reaching the French Open semifinals as a 17-year-old, winning her maiden WTA 1000 title in Doha. She failed to build on that momentum, losing her opening matches in Dubai and Indian Wells. But she has looked composed this fortnight, easily seeing off Sherif before taking down current darling Mirra Andreeva. One of the best returners in the business, she will look to put relentless pressure on the Brit’s serve (especially with that formidable double-handed backhand).
Britain’s Emma Radacanu eased into the last 16 of this year’s Miami Open after McCartney Kessler retired injured in the start of the 2nd set. Radacanu had been completely dominant in the match, needing just 30 minutes to take the opening set 6-1. The Brit has now won three successive matches for the first time this season. She has struggled in the aftermath of that unheralded 2021 US Open triumph, battling injuries and poor form these last three years or so. This year she faced an added challenge, with an alleged stalker causing her significant emotional distress on her travels. She has struggled this season, facing embarrassing early exits in Singapore and Indian Wells. She has finally found a semblance of form this week, winning three straight matches for the first time since last year’s Wimbledon Championships. She showed plenty of character in her round of 64 clash, holding off gritty 8th seed Emma Navarro in three sets. She has served solidly this fortnight and looked to be aggressive when she could. She will look to set the initiative and take the ball early in rallies.
The Verdict: Radacanu to win in straight sets at 3.1- Radacanu leads the head-to-head 1-0, taking down the American in straight sets at this year’s Aussie Open. Anisimova arrives in superior form and will enjoy fanatical support from the home crowd. But I just think that Radacanu may have the upper hand on these surfaces. She has a flat-hitting style that seems to respond well to these low-bouncing conditions.
