WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES – MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÚ MIAMI, FL-USA | MARCH 23-APRIL 4, 2021 | USD $3,260,190 | WTA 1000M Tournament Information: www.miamiopen.com | @MiamiOpen | facebook.com/MiamiOpenTennis WTA Information: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/WTA WTA Communications: Chase Altieri ([email protected]), Estelle LaPorte ([email protected]), Bryan Shapiro ([email protected]) MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÚ – DAY 5 [1] ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS #1) vs. JELENA OSTAPENKO (LAT #54) Barty leads 2-1 Barty saved a match point on Thursday in her first match outside Australia since February 2020... Ostapenko owns one win over a World No.1 over Muguruza in QF of 2017 before losing to today’s opponent in SF... Barty has won both of the pair’s meetings on hard courts [24] ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER #25) vs. [14] VICTORIA AZARENKA (BLR #13) Azarenka leads 8-1 Kerber defeated her second round opponent 6-0, 6-0 for the fourth time in her career... Azarenka playing her first match of the tournament after a first round bye and a walkover in second round... Kerber facing a Top 15 opponent for the first time since 2019 Eastbourne [9] PETRA KVITOVA (CZE #10) vs. [17] JOHANNA KONTA (GBR #18) Kvitova leads 3-2 Kvitova has won both of the pair’s only meetings on hard courts... Konta looking to win back-to-back victories for the first time this year and first Top 10 win since 2019 US open... Kvitova dropped just three points in first set of second round match [WC] ANA KONJUH (CRO #338) vs. [15] IGA SWIATEK (POL #16) First career meeting Konjuh earned best by-ranking win since 2017 Wimbledon over No.19 Keys in 1r... Swiatek has never lost to a player outside the Top 150 in her WTA career... Konjuh owns one win over Grand Slam champion Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES – MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÚ MIAMI, FL-USA | MARCH 23-APRIL 4, 2021 | USD $3,260,190 | WTA 1000M [30] EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (RUS #34) vs. [5] ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR #5) Svitolina leads 2-0 Alexandrova already owns one Top 5 win this year over No.5 Halep... Svitolina saved two match points when the two met earlier this year in Abu Dhabi... Alexandrova looking for her 10th win of the year today [32] VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA (RUS #37) vs. [7] ARYNA SABALENKA (BLR #8) Sabalenka leads 2-0 Sabalenka defeated Kudermetova in the final of the first tournament of year in Abu Dhabi... Kudermetova owns one Top 10 so far this year which she earned en route to the final in Abu Dhabi... Sabalenka saved two match points in her opening match on Thursday [3] SIMONA HALEP (ROU #3) vs. ANASTASIJA SEVASTOVA (LAT #57) Halep leads 6-3 Halep earned 400th career main draw win in comeback victory over Garcia in 2r... Sevastova looking to reach R16 in Miami for first time... Halep has only lost to player outside the Top 50 once since Tour’s restart in August of last year [11] BELINDA BENCIC (SUI #12) VS. [19] MARKETA VONDROUSOVA (CZE #20) First career meeting Bencic looking for first Top 20 win since 2019 WTA Finals in Shenzhen... Vondrousova reached back- to-back QFs at Indian Wells and Miami in 2019... Bencic looking to tie best result here by reaching R16 Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2021 MIAMI OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MIAMI, FL-USA | MARCH 23-APRIL 4, 2021 | USD $3,260,190 | WTA 1000M [1] ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS #1) VS. JELENA OSTAPENKO (LAT #54) Head-to-head: ASHELIGH BARTY leads 2-1 2017 ROME CLAY O R16 JELENA OSTAENKO 57 64 64 2017 WUHAN HARD O SF ASHLEIGH BARTY 63 60 2019 SYDNEY HARD O R32 ASHELIGH BARTY 63 63 BARTY OSTAPENKO Career Prize Money $18,030,248 Career Prize Money $9,220,810 Plays Right-handed Plays Right-handed Date of Birth (Age) April 24, 1996 (24) Date of Birth (Age) Jun 8, 1997 (23) Singles Titles 9 Singles Titles 3 Miami W-L (MD) 10-2 Miami W-L (MD) 7-3 YTD / Career W-L (MD) 9-2 / 161-67 YTD / Career W-L 7-5 / 143-115 3-Set W-L (YTD / Career) 3-1 / 50-20 3-Set (YTD / Career) 3-1 / 47-34 Tie-Break W-L (YTD / Career) 3-0 / 26-19 Tie-Break (YTD / Career) 0-3 / 33-23 Hard Court W-L (YTD / Career) 9-2 / 111-45 Hard Court (YTD / Career) 7-5 / 83-75 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 0-0 / 18-20 Top 10 W-L (YTD / Career) 0-1 / 13-16 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 1-0 / 38-38 Top 20 W-L (YTD / Career) 1-1 / 20-30 Coach Craig Tyzzer Coach Jelena Jakovleva BARTY: Miami Open • Making fourth appearance at the Miami Open, returning in 2021 as defending champion • When the event was last held, in 2019, defeated three Top 10 players en route to the title (No.8 Bertens, No.2 Kvitova and No.7 Ka.Pliskova in F) • At the time, was the biggest title of her career and the 1000 points earned proved to be a huge step for her becoming the World No.1, which she achieved three months later • Owner of nine singles titles overall, however has never successfully defended one • Made debut here in 2017, making 2r (l. Stosur) and reached R16 in 2018 (l. Svitolina) • Won doubles title here in 2018 (w/Vandeweghe) • No.1 seed this fortnight – last World No.1 and Top Seed to win the title here was S.Williams in 2015 (who made it a three-peat that year, having also lifted the trophy here in 2013 and 2014 • 2021 Miami Open is her 16th Tour-level event as the top seed • Barty was one of six previous Miami Open champions to begin the main draw this fortnight – Stephens, Azarenka, Konta, Kuznetsova and V.Williams • One of three Australian women in the singles main draw – also Sanders and Tomljanovic • After a 1r bye, saved a match point in victory that lasted almost two and a half hours over qualifier Kucova at 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in her first match away from Australian soil since February 2020, at Doha • Would have been the first time falling to a qualifier since opening match at 2020 Brisbane (after 1r bye, l. Brady) Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2021 MIAMI OPEN – WOMEN’S MATCH NOTES MIAMI, FL-USA | MARCH 23-APRIL 4, 2021 | USD $3,260,190 | WTA 1000M • Match was also first since opening match loss at 2021 Adelaide (l. Collins) – hasn’t lost back-to-back opening matches on Tour since 2014: fell 1r at Roland Garros (l. Cornet) then fell in 1r qualifying at Birmingham (l. Falconi) • Faces No.54 Ostapenko today having won all their previous match-ups on hard courts • Win today would be 10th main draw win of the year • Also playing doubles this week with American, Brady; will face Hradecka/Kr.Pliskova later today in 1r • Coming off 1r loss at Adelaide (as defending champion, l. Collins) • Posted QF run at the Australian Open (l. Muchova) after winning her ninth career title at the Yarra Valley Classic (d. Muguruza in F) – her first tournament since 2020 Doha where she reached SF (l. eventual R- Up Kvitova) Career Milestones • Finished year-end No.1 for second year in a row in 2020, despite missing all tournaments held after the resumption of play in the summer • Went 12-3 to start 2020 season, results highlighted by first title on home soil, and eighth overall at Adelaide (d. Yastremska in F). Followed up with SF runs at Australian Open (l. eventual champion Kenin) and Doha (l. Kvitova) • Stellar season in 2019 brought four singles titles – including maiden major at Roland Garros (d. Vondrousova in F) and WTA Finals in Shenzhen (d. Svitolina in F); registered Tour-leading 57 match wins, with 11-6 record against Top 10 opponents • Broke into Top 10 after defeating Ka.Pliskova in F at 2019 Miami (week of April 1) and became first Australian woman in 43 years to secure No.1 singles ranking after title run at Birmingham, where she defeated Goerges in F (June 24, 2019) • Other highlights in 2019 included R-Up finishes at Sydney (scored first win over a reigning No.1, Halep, en route; l. Kvitova) and Beijing (l. Osaka) and reached SF at Cincinnati and Wuhan. In doubles, won Rome titles and was R-Up at US Open (both w/Azarenka) • In 2019, spearheaded Australia to its first Billie Jean King Cup final since 1993, against France in Perth; went 1-1 in singles (d. Garcia, l. Mladenovic) and dropped decisive doubles (w/Stosur) as the French prevailed 3- 2 • In 2018, won two singles titles and four doubles titles, finishing the season No.15 in singles and No.7 in doubles; was one of only two players to finish the year in the Top 20 in both disciplines (along with Mertens) • Captured first Grand Slam doubles trophy at 2018 US Open (w/Vandeweghe, d. No.1 seeds Krejcikova/Siniakova in SF and No.2 seeds Mladenovic/Babos in F) • Clinched career first WTA singles title at 2017 Kuala Lumpur (as qualifier, d. Hibino in F).