Three to See, Miami Open Day 3: Osaka vs. Kerber; Davidovich Fokina vs. Korda; Raducanu vs. Siniakova

TC DESK: Osaka on getting her Miami campaign underway

Naomi Osaka vs. Angelique Kerber

Are you surprised that Kerber leads her head to head with Osaka 4-1, and that Osaka’s only win came in their first meeting, back in 2017? It’s not clear how much those statistics mean, considering that they haven’t faced off in four years. But there’s something about Kerber’s game that Osaka hasn’t liked in the past. Maybe it’s the German’s defense, or her down the line forehand, or her tricky, low-bouncing first serve. What we do know is that the aggressor vs. defender contrast we’ll see on Thursday has the potential to make this a long and entertaining battle. Winner: Osaka

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Sebastian Korda

Korda and his family are playing the long game, taking their time with the young Floridian’s development. But this match feels like an important one for the 21-year-old. He’s defending quarterfinal points after his breakthrough run in Miami last year. He has a comparable ranking to the Spaniard (Korda is No. 38, Davidovich Fokina is No. 43). And this is his first meeting with the 22-year-old, a player he could be facing in bigger matches in the years ahead. Winning this one might be a statement that both of these guys want to make. Winner: Korda

Emma Raducanu vs. Katerina Siniakova

Raducanu is ranked 13th and has a Grand Slam title to her name. Siniakova is ranked 53rd and has reached the fourth round at a major one time, on clay at Roland Garros. Despite those numbers, it’s still a toss-up as to who should be favored between the Brit and the Czech. Raducanu can obviously do big things on big stages, but Siniakova is a solid, stubborn member of the WTA’s rank and file who doesn’t make life easy on her opponents. In other words, she’s the type of player Raducanu will need to beat if she’s going to get to the later rounds at majors in the future. Winner: Raducanu