Miami 2nd Round Predictions: Azarenka takes on Keys, Makarova/Kuznetsova to clash

Victoria Azarenka

*Vika pulled out before her match with Madison Keys so this first match preview is irrelevant now! Also just realised I had titled the thread Indian Wells :-S

1. Victoria Azarenka v Madison Keys

Will she, won't she? There has been much speculation over Victoria Azarenka's participation in Miami, but no news suggests she will take to the court in her first match, which will certainly not be easy as she takes on the young American, Madison Keys, for the first time.  Keys recorded a double bagel win in the first round over the superbly named, Allie Kiick.  The hard hitting American is having a good 2013 and she is frequently getting to size up her game against the big guns and Azarenka is the highest ranked player she will have played in her short career up till now.  So Madison's chances? Well, it all depends on Vika really, but I fancy the new world number three to come out strong and take the match in straight sets.

Prediction - Azarenka to beat Keys in 2 tight sets

2. Ekaterina Makarova v Svetlana Kuznetsova

Svetlana Kuznetsova soared in Melbourne when she reached the quarter-finals, but since then, her form has been so-so; not being seeded at these events is definitely more troublesome and she will take on fellow Russian, Ekaterina Makarova in the second round.  Kuznetsova beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino, 6-3 6-3 in the first round and will probably be the favourite going into this match despite not being the seed.  Makarova did great in Melbourne, like Kuznetsova, but has since struggled for consistency and bombed out in her first match at Indian Wells to Garbine Muguruza.  I think this will be a patchy match with little rhythm, but I sense Kuznetsova will have the stronger game to take it in the decider.

Prediction - Kuznetsova to beat Makarova in 3 lopsided sets

3. Alexandr Dolgopolov v Nikolay Davydenko

The best mens match for me comes from the first quarter where a dangerous floater is searching to upset a seed.  Nikolay Davydenko dished out two bagels to Paolo Lorenzi, but still needed three sets to make the second round in a strange, 6-0 2-6 6-0 scoreline.  His reward is a match-up with the quirky, Alexandr Dolgopolov.  The Ukranian has an incredibly watchable game, but his form and consistency in the last year has been disappointing and he has failed to push on up the rankings following a break-out year in 2011 when he made his first Grand Slam quarter-final in Australia.  Davydenko leads their head-to-head with two straight set wins in 2011 and 2012 and on a slow hard court, I fancy Davydenko to cruise this one.

Prediction - Davydenko to beat Dolgopolov in 2 sets

4. Ana Ivanovic v Urszula Radwanska

Urszula Radwanska

There are a number of good looking womens matches for Friday, but my last pick goes to Ana Ivanovic and Urszula Radwanska.  Ivanovic went out to Mona Barthel in Indian Wells in what was by all accounts, a dejected performance.  Radwanska had a much better tournament and already has one win under her belt in Miami thanks to a straight sets win over Annika Beck, 6-3 6-1.  This will be a tough opener for Ivanovic, who lost to Radwanska back in Tokyo last year having won the opening set of their second round match.  She will need to pick herself up from last week and get stuck in here with a workable draw that with some good performances, could see a 4th round or even quarter-final appearance.  Urszula is playing well at the moment, but I think Ivanovic will be scouting for revenge...

Prediction - Ivanovic to beat U.Radwanska in 2 tight sets

Best of the rest: 2nd round womens predictions

Sara Errani to beat Daniela Hantuchova in 3 sets

Simona Halep to beat Tamira Paszek in 3 sets *upset alert*

Maria Kirilenko to beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 2 tight sets

Klara Zakopalova to beat Anabel Medina Garrigues in 3 sets

Elena Vesnina to beat Donna Vekic in 2 sets

Maria Sharapova to beat Eugenie Bouchard in 2 sets

Angelique Kerber to beat Francesca Schiavone in 2 sets

Sorana Cirstea to beat Silvia Soler-Espinosa in 3 sets

Jelena Jankovic to beat Victoria Duval in 2 sets

Nadia Petrova to beat Zheng Jie in 2 sets

Roberta Vinci to beat Christina McHale in 3 sets

Carla Suarez Navarro to beat Jamie Hampton in 3 sets

Laura Robson to beat Alize Cornet in 2 sets *upset alert*

Best of the rest: 2nd round mens predictions

Novak Djokovic to beat Lukas Rosol in 2 sets

Somdev Devvarman to beat Feliciano Lopez in 3 sets *upset alert*

Tommy Haas to beat Igor Sijsling in 3 sets

Gilles Simon to beat Lleyton Hewitt in a third set tiebreak

Florian Mayer to beat Grega Zemlja in 2 sets

Kevin Anderson to beat Horacio Zeballos in 2 sets

Janko Tipsarevic to beat Dudi Sela in 2 tight sets

David Ferrer to beat Dmitry Tursunov in 2 sets

Michael Llodra to beat Fabio Fognini in 3 sets *upset alert*

Xavier Malisse to beat Jeremy Chardy in 2 tight sets *upset alert*

Kei Nishikori to beat Victor Hanescu in 2 sets

Albert Ramos to beat Juan Monaco in 3 sets *upset alert*

Julien Benneteau to beat James Blake in 2 tight sets

Marcel Granollers to beat Jurgen Melzer in 3 sets

Juan Martin del Potro to beat Tobias Kamke in 2 sets

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