Miami Open Tennis Women’s Preview: One Mind-blowing Quarter

The women’s draw was unveiled for the Miami Open, where world No. 1 Serena Williams is the favorite (or is it Victoria Azarenka?), and one loaded quarter of the draw will blow your mind.
ADHEREL
Let’s have a look at the four quarters:

1st Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova, Elina Svitolina, Svetlana Kuznetsova

Breakdown: To get to the fourth round, Serena will likely have to go through rising star and No. 31 seed Daria Gavrilova, and the former world No. 2 and two-time Slam winner Kuznetsova. Kvitova’s road to the fourth round includes No. 30 Ekaterina Makarova, and former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki or No. 12 Elina Svitolina.

Not a lot of floating talent here, and Kvitova is off her game. Chalk in Serena vs. a surprise to reach the semis from here.

2nd Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: Aggie Radwanska, Simona Halep, Lucie Safarova, Ana Ivanovic

This is a nice draw for Radwanska, who is coming off a nice Indian Wells performance. All nice. Halep at this point in the year you don’t know what you’re going to get, and she will be challenged en route to the fourth round by No. 26 Sam Stosur in the third round and No. 11 Lucie Safarova or No. 20 Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.

A few mild floating threats here with Radwanska after a bye possibly facing the upset queen Alize Cornet, No. 28 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova against the feisty Camila Giorgi, No. 11 Safarova vs. Yanina Wickmayer, and No. 20 Stephens vs. (WC) Heather Watson.

3rd Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: Garbine Muguruza, Carla Suarez Navarro, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka

Now we’re talking.

Weak-tea seeds Muguruza and Suarez Navarro thrown in with former No. 1s Venus, Azarenka, and Jelena Jankovic. Also toss in potential upset-makers Bethanie Mattek-Sands, CoCo Vandeweghe and Dominika Cibulkova, and watch the mayhem ensue.

No. 6 Suarez Navarro after a bye is looking at Vandeweghe, and No. 4 Muguruza at Cibulkova. If the top two seeds in the quarter make it to the fourth round, Suarez Navarro would meet Venus or No. 24 Johanna Konta, and Muguruza vs. Azarenka or Jankovic. Zowie!

4th Quarter

Top 4 Seeds: Angie Kerber, Belinda Bencic, Roberta Vinci, Sara Errani

Young guns and old Italians make the fourth quarter stand out.

Bencic could not have an easier route to the third round, where she will likely find No. 29 Sabine Lisicki looking to prove she is still relevant. Kerber, the highest seed in the quarter, will see big-hitting No. 25 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round, and No. 14 seed Sara Errani or No. 17 Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round.

Throw in No. 22 seed Madison Keys and unseeded Genie Bouchard, and this could be another unpredictable emergence into the semis.

As Ray Moore might say, ‘There are a lot of attractive ladies out there — umm, competitively attractive…oh crap, I’ve done it again. I’ll release an apology press release later, in the meantime let these chicks at the Miami Open get things going! Not chicks, uhhh broads — I mean ladies. Whatever, let the games begin!’