World number 32 Victoria Azarenka will be up against the 55th-ranked Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of the 2025 WTA Miami Open which will be played on Tuesday, March 18. Get all the Victoria Azarenka v Anhelina Kalinina predictions, betting tips and odds for this encounter in the section below.
Victoria Azarenka v Anhelina Kalinina Head to Head
There have been two previous meetings between these players and Azarenka has won them both.
The first came in Adelaide in 2023 before they met more recently in Dubai last month.
Azarenka Needs a Strong Miami Showing
Victoria Azarenka had some good form going in 2024 and at this very tournament last year she had made the semifinals.
Unfortunately for the Belarusian player, she enters the Miami Open this year with all those points to defend from her semifinal showing last season and with barely any form under her belt.
Overall, Azarenka has featured in five tournaments this season and won just three matches – of which one came against Kalinina herself.
More recently, Azarenka was a part of the Indian Wells Open and had a tough opening round win over Clervie Ngounoue before Qinwen Zheng put an end to her campaign.
What’s interesting to note is that bet365 and other bookmakers are offering 9/20 for an Azarenka win despite her poor form and that could be to do with the fact that her opponent’s struggles have been as pronounced.
Kalinina Form Tapers off Since Brisbane
Anhelina Kalinina looked to have started the season with the kind of performance that should have propelled her closer to her career-best ranking of 25th in the world.
Instead, Kalinina, who won four matches in a row at the start of the year, has done nothing of note in more recent times. In the 11 matches that Kalinina has featured in since then, she has lost eight.
She has suffered first round losses at five of the tournaments, including one at the hands of Azarenka in Dubai.
More recently, Kalinina faced off against Lucia Bronzetti in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters and lost in straight sets to her Italian opponent.
Can she find a way to turn things around here?
Azarenka v Kalinina Predictions
This is a battle between two players who had been struggling for quality tennis and we could see a bit of an error-strewn fight as a result of that. Azarenka’s experience might prove to be of help but her aggressive style of play has helped opponents remain in the contest, something she might want to improve upon.
Azarenka v Kalinina Tips
- Three sets in the match: 6/5
