Lots of value in first round clashes

 

The opening round of the WTA Sony Open in Miami promises an array of intriguing encounters, with several competitors certain to be driven by the prospect of a second round tie against one of the top names in the women's game.

 

Serena Williams returns to the court for the first time since her historic return to world number one, in a tournament she has won five times previously. She leads a star-studded cast including the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska, but as with all the top seeds, they receive a bye to the second round.

 

Johanna Larsson and Leisa Tsurenko both look good value to progress and will face Williams and Radwanska respectively should they succeed.

 

Larsson begins her tournament against Italian star Flavia Pennetta and arrives in Miami in slightly better form after a straight sets victory against world No. 25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round at Indian Wells. Pennetta in contrast was comfortably dispatched in the opening round by compatriot Francesca Schiavone. The opportunity to advance and partake in Serena's historic return to the top will no doubt provide an incentive to both, with Larsson receiving generous odds to edge through in three sets at 5.1.

 

Defending champion and number four seed Radwanska will face either Tsurenko or Su-Wei Hsieh after receiving a bye to the next round. Tsurenko has shown signs of promise on the hard court surface so far this season, reaching the third round at both the Australian Open in January and again at Indian Wells. The in-form Ukrainian has left many impressed with her recent performances and looks a potential bet to provide a shock against Hsieh.

 

Elsewhere, British duo Heather Watson and Laura Robson face tough tests against Ayumi Morita and Camila Giorgi but will both be confident of progressing. Attention will very much be focused on the young British hopefuls in the opening round of matches as they will be keen to bounce back from first round exits at Indian Wells.

 

Current Japanese number one Morita prevailed against Watson when the youngsters met in Miami two years ago, winning easily in two sets. Expect this encounter to be closer though, with the Brit a good bet to go through after three. Robson will also have a real battle on her hands that is likely to go the distance.

 

Wildcard entrant Andrea Petkovic faces the unseeded Serbian Bojana Jovanovski, with the victor set to face Marion Bartoli in the next round. The Serb has been out of sorts since an impressive outing at the Australian Open, but should have enough against the German, who has struggled to return to top form since a serious ankle injury last year.

 

In other key opening round clashes, Svetlana Kuznetsova, a former champion back in 2006, opens her account against Lourdes Dominguez Lino and will be fancied to progress at the expense of the Spaniard.

 

Hard-hitting Tsvetana Pironkova takes on Daniela Hantuchova with the winner setting up a clash against eighth-seeded Italian Sara Errani. The Bulgarian was dumped out in the first round in Indian Wells, and you can envisage a potential repeat this week against her vastly experienced opponent.

 

There is also a potentially exciting encounter between Simona Halep and Sabine Lisicki to look forward to, with the German returning from injury. Much will depend on her fitness, but the world No. 37 has all the ability to advance.

 

Recommended Bets:

Bet on Tsurenko to beat Hsieh 2-1 @ 4.1

Bet on Watson to beat Morita 2-1 @ 5.4

Bet on Larsson to beat Pennetta @ 2.34

Bet on Jovanovski to beat Petkovic 2-0 @ 3.85

Bet on Robson vs Giorgi to go three sets @ 2.36

 

Bet HERE

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