World number 60 Emma Raducanu will face Japanese wildcard entrant Sayaka Ishii in the first round of the 2025 WTA Miami Open which will be played on Tuesday, March 18. Get all the Emma Raducanu v Sayaka Ishii predictions, betting tips and odds for this encounter in the section below.
Emma Raducanu v Sayaka Ishii Head to Head
Raducanu and Ishii have never faced off in a competitive match before this.
Raducanu Coming off Some Poor Performances
When Emma Raducanu began the season with back to back victories against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova at the Australian Open – and in straight sets no less – it looked like she had made the kind of start her fans wanted from her.
Since then, Raducanu’s form has withered away with her following seven matches resulting in six defeats. This includes back to back losses coming into this tournament with the British player going down to Karolina Muchova in the second round in Dubai and then getting packed off at the Indian Wells Open by Moyuka Uchijima.
And by most accounts, Raducanu has a tough draw here with Emma Navarro awaiting the winner of this encounter.
That’s a problem for later – for now, Raducanu can be thankful she isn’t facing someone like Sofia Kenin first up given how badly things have gone for her over the first two and a half months of the season.
Ishii with a Rare Chance at the Highest Level
Sayaka Ishii is still green at the highest level having featured in her first WTA main draw match only last year when she made the Cleveland Open first round.
Later she would make it to the quarterfinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open with wins over Sara Saito and Zeynep Sönmez but couldn’t continue playing because of fitness issues.
Since then Ishii has been participating at the lower, ITF circuit, having played in five such tournaments this year. More recently she made the semifinal at one of them in Slovakia but she does lack the experience of beating players ranked close to the top 50.
Another Japanese player, Moyuka Uchijima had defeated Raducanu in Indian Wells but she has had the experience of playing at the highest level on a more consistent basis. For Ishii, this could be a good chance to put up a fight but nothing more.
Raducanu v Ishii Predictions
Raducanu’s power-packed game gives her an advantage here and her opponent’s lack of experience also gives the Brit a bit of a leeway in terms of error-making. Backing Raducanu to win in straight sets.
Raducanu v Ishii Tips
- Raducanu to win in straight sets: 4/5
