Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Belinda Bencic
Elina Svitolina
In the second round of the Miami tennis tournament, Belinda Bencic will face off against Elina Svitolina. Here's my betting suggestion for this event.
Belinda Bencic
The Swiss athlete is having a solid season, having already won a strong tournament in Abu Dhabi. At the recent Indian Wells, Bencic reached the quarterfinals, where she was decisively beaten by Madison Keys.
Ranked 45th in the world, the 28-year-old is still capable of high-level play. In the first round of the Miami tournament, the Swiss played against the resilient Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska. The battle was dramatic, as Bencic took the first set 6-4, lost the second 1-6, and in the third set, she was trailing 3-5 but won four games in a row to clinch the victory 7-5.
Elina Svitolina
Ukraine's top player has had mixed success this season. Her best performances were at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, reaching the quarterfinals in both, only to lose to the eventual tournament winners. First to Madison Keys, then to Mirra Andreeva.
Ranked 22nd in the world, the 30-year-old has yet to win a tournament this year and dreams of clinching a Grand Slam. If Bencic plays as she did in the first round, Svitolina could definitely advance.
Match facts
- Bencic has played 23 matches this season, winning 18 of them.
- Svitolina has won 9 out of 14 matches this season.
- The odds for this match are: Bencic to win - 1.7, Svitolina to win - 2.19.
H2H
The players have faced each other four times, with the score tied at 2-2. Their last encounter was back in 2019.
Prediction
Bencic is considered a slight favorite in this matchup, although both are strong and experienced players. I expect to see a hard-fought battle that will likely be prolonged. I suggest betting on a total of over 21.5 games.
