Former champion Victoria Azarenka enters Miami Open with a win

Victoria Azarenka is a three-time champion in women’s singles at the Miami Open. She opens her 2019 action with a victory.

Action at the 2019 Miami Open is underway and a former champion in Victoria Azarenka remains in the mix. The Belarusian tennis star knows the tournament extremely well. She is a three-time champion at the Miami Open, winning the women’s singles title in 2009, 2011, and 2016.

Azarenka came face to face with a tough opponent for her opener in Miami though. 2016 WTA Finals champion Dominika Cibulkova was not going to give up without a fight.

The two tennis stars battled back and forth for just over two and a half hours before it appeared that Azarenka would emerge victorious. She takes the round of 128 meeting in a hard-fought three sets. Azarenka ousts Cibulkova during her opener, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Normally, the Belarusian would be considered a top contender for the title in women’s singles at the Miami Open. This year, however, she enters the women’s main draw having played intermittently as of late. Since becoming a new mother, Azarenka has picked her tournaments with more precision. That does not mean that she can’t make waves at the tournament though.

Up next for the three-time champion is an even bigger challenge. She takes on the 19th seeded French tennis star Caroline Garcia. The two square off on Thursday at the 2019 Miami Open. We want to root for Azarenka as Miami seems to be the place where she truly feels at home on the tennis courts.

The Azarenka-Garcia matchup is without a doubt a must watch on the women’s singles side of the action. Elsewhere at the Miami Open, the men’s favorites will be taking to the courts. Check out how we think the top four seeds in the men’s draw will fare here. Stay tuned to see how Victoria Azarenka fares throughout the rest of her time in Miami and how the remainder of the men’s and women’s field unfolds this month.