First quarter of W1000 for Baptiste!

Well, not sure this is the best opponent for this event!

It’s a first-time matchup on the main tour, which explains why Aryna Sabalenka’s odds are so low. The two players have never faced each other before, neither in Miami nor anywhere else. Sabalenka comes in as the absolute boss and defending champion in Indian Wells, while Hailey Baptiste is playing her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, boosted by the American crowd.

Even without any shared history, Hailey Baptiste has shown impressive form this week, taking out players like Ostapenko without dropping a single set, or even a lackluster Svitolina. She relies on a big serve (68% of points won behind her first serve) to control the rallies. Against Sabalenka’s power, the American will need to play a perfect match to avoid being overwhelmed right from the first strikes.

Sabalenka was shaky against Zheng—average serving, rushing things—but I think here she has the chance to spend less time on court and should be able to clean up those little errors.