Naomi Osaka vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction 3/20/25 Miami Tennis Picks

Naomi Osaka and Liudmila Samsonova clash in the second round of the 2025 WTA Miami Open on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Here’s our Naomi Osaka vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction. This preview will also include a Naomi Osaka vs Liudmila Samsonova pick.

Naomi Osaka Preview

Naomi Osaka is unseeded and that meant she had to play in the first round. She defeated Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva in three sets. The match took 28 games to decide and lasted two and a half hours.

In the victory, Osaka hit 27 winners and 30 unforced errors including 10 aces and four double faults. Osaka landed 53% of first serves in play and won 75% of first serve points (38/51).

The four-time Grand Slam champion won 46% of second serve points (21/46) and saved seven out of 10 break points on her serve. Osaka compiled 42% of return points (37/88) and converted four of eight break points.

The Japanese snaps a three-match losing streak. She improves to 7-4 for the season. This was her first win since beating Muchova in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Liudmila Samsonova Preview

Liudmila Samsonova is the 24th seed at the WTA Miami Open and had a BYE in the first round. This will be the Russian’s fifth main draw in Florida. She has reached the third round twice in her career. Last year, Samsonova was knocked out in the second round stage as a seed by Yulia Putintseva.

Samsonova has won nine of 16 matches this season and is coming off a quarterfinal run in Indian Wells this past week, where she beat two Top 20 players, before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.

Her other quarterfinal run was in the second week of the season in Adelaide. In between that, she didn’t win successive matches in four tournaments. Last year, Samsonova posted a 12-15 record on outdoor hard courts.

Naomi Osaka vs Liudmila Samsonova Head-To-Head

• Osaka and Samsonova have met twice on the WTA level.

• Both matches took place in 2024. Osaka won in Indian Wells in straight sets while Samsonova beat the Japanese in Madrid.

Naomi Osaka vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction

It’s a fascinating clash of two big hitters, but I’m slightly leaning Osaka here. I hope she is over the abdominal injury that clearly impacted her serve in recent weeks. Look, when Osaka is serving well, there’s practically no chance of Samsonova attacking her. The Russian also relies so much on her firepower but is more erratic, and it’s best to completely avoid her in such a tight line like this one.