Kristina Kucova will face the American teenager Hailey Baptiste in the first round of the 2021 Miami Open on Wednesday, March 24. The match will be played at 8:00 pm BST. Get the live streaming options of this Kristina Kucova v Hailey Baptiste match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
Looking to watch 2021 Miami Open live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Get all the other Miami Open 2021 live streaming options here
[the_ad id=”14063″]
*Advertisement. Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Kristina Kucova v Hailey Baptiste Head to Head
This is the first meeting between the two ladies on the WTA Tour.
Also Read:
Baptiste Looking to Build on ITF Momentum
The 19-year-old Hailey Baptiste has spent the better part of the last few seasons competing in the ITF and low-tier events to get some experience.
With the exception of the Grand Slams and a handful of WTA tournaments, Baptiste has primarily focussed on the ITF events where she won three titles – all of them in 2019.
With her entry to the main round in Miami, the American will compete in her second WTA event this season. She made it to the main draw as a qualifier after beating the top seed Misaki Doi and the 16th seed Greet Minnen in the qualifying rounds.
Currently ranked #236 in the singles ranking, Baptiste last featured in an ITF $25,000 event in Boca Raton, Florida, where she was a semifinalist. That was her best run of the season as the teenager succumbed in the early rounds in her preceding tournaments.
Last season too, she played in a few ITF events and the best she did was reaching the semifinal in the ITF $25,000 Rancho Santa Fe.
[the_ad id=”30344″]
Kucova Fresh Off a Decent Run in Monterrey
The 30-year-old Kucova arrived in Miami following a second-round appearance in the Monterrey Open last week. While she ultimately fell to Leylah Fernandez, it wasn’t before she cleared her qualifying rounds and dispatched Sloane Stephens in the opener.
The Slovakian continued the same form in the Miami Open Qualifiers too, beating Yafan Wang and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to earn the main draw ticket.
Despite being years ahead in experience, Kucova’s recent run has been along similar lines as that of her young American counterpart. Before Monterrey, Kucova featured in the Australian Open and WTA Guadalajara where she lost in the opening qualifying matches.
That said, 2020 was still a breakthrough season for Kristina, who won her maiden WTA title by winning the WTA 125K Prague Open. She has also won 11 ITF titles with the last one coming in 2019.
Kucova v Baptiste Prediction and Tip
This battle of the qualifiers can go either way but Kucova will start as the favourite on account of her experience. This is a good opportunity for Baptiste to try and win this game, considering that her opponent isn’t that sharp herself at the moment.
Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/4 (bet365)
[the_ad id=”30513″]
The 2021 Miami Open will be played from March 22 to April 4. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
Be the first to comment