Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Naomi Osaka
Jasmine Paolini
The prestigious tennis tournament in Miami is in full swing, and for this reason, I have prepared my prediction for the match between Naomi Osaka and Jasmine Paolini. Who will come out on top this time?
Naomi Osaka
This season has been challenging for the former world number one. She plays well, but injuries have hindered her from achieving better results. Osaka has lost three matches this season, withdrawing from two due to injuries. It was especially disappointing in Auckland when the Japanese player won the first set in the final but couldn't continue against Tauson in the second.
Currently, the athlete is ranked 61st in the world, which shouldn't be given too much importance. In this tournament, Osaka started with a tough victory over Starodubtseva, making a comeback from 3-6, 2-4, and then confidently defeated Samsonova 6-2, 6-4. The match against American Baptiste was challenging, ending 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.
Jasmine Paolini
The 29-year-old tennis player hasn't shown high results this year, as she hasn't won more than two matches in a row. The results are disappointing considering Paolini is ranked seventh in the world. She broke into the elite of world tennis just last year, but it's tough to maintain that position.
The Italian started this tournament with a victory against Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-4. The match against Ons Jabeur wasn't complete, as Paolini was leading 4-3 in the first set before her opponent got injured and had to retire.
Match Facts
- Osaka has won 9 out of 12 matches this season.
- Paolini has played 15 matches this season, winning 10 of them.
- Here are the odds for the upcoming match: P1 – 1.56, P2 – 2.53.
Prediction
The opponents have never faced each other before. On paper, the Japanese player is a slight favorite, which isn't surprising given Osaka's past as a world number one. I expect a tense battle that could go either way. This time, I agree with the bookmakers and bet on a straight win for the Japanese athlete.
