Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Taylor Townsend vs (Q) Lulu Sun
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Date: March 18, 2026
Tournament: Miami Open
Round: First Round (Round of 96)
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $9,415,725
Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN
Taylor Townsend vs Lulu Sun preview
Taylor Townsend will face qualifier Lulu Sun in the first round of the Miami Open 2026.
Townsend lost in the first round of the Australian Open as a lucky loser, and her title defense in doubles ended in the quarterfinals. She then advanced to her maiden final in singles at the ATX Open, going down to Peyton Stearns in a competitive two-set contest in the final.
While Townsend came up short in the singles final, she captured the doubles title with Storm Hunter. She qualified for the Indian Wells Open, and beat Marie Bouzkova in the first round. She proved to be no match for 28th seed Marta Kostyuk in the second round. The American continued her doubles success, claiming her first title at Indian Wells, this time with Katerina Siniakova.
Sun’s campaign in Miami got underway in the qualifying rounds. She beat Maria Timofeeva 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the first qualifier. She was up against Donna Vekic for a spot in the main draw. This was a rematch of their quarterfinal showdown at Wimbledon 2024. While Vekic won that encounter, Sun came out on top this time with a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Taylor Townsend vs Lulu Sun head-to-head
This will be the first main draw meeting between them at the WTA level, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0. However, Townsend won their only prior meeting at an ITF tournament in 2022 in straight sets.
Taylor Townsend vs Lulu Sun odds
(Odds will be added once they’re available)
Taylor Townsend vs Lulu Sun prediction
Townsend dropped out of the top 100 of the singles rankings last year after a string of poor results. She returned to the region in the wake of her runner-up finish at the ATX Open. She has a 5-3 record at the main draw level in singles this year.
Sun avenged her prior loss to Vekic, although it was a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes change in tennis. They contested a Wimbledon quarterfinal less than two years ago, and were now tussling in the qualifying rounds. Sun fell out of the top 100 a few weeks ago. She hasn’t won a main draw match this year, going 0-3 so far.
The Miami Open ranks as Townsend’s best WTA 1000 tournament in terms of consistency. She has an 8-5 record here, has reached the third round thrice, including for the past two years, and has never lost in the first round. Considering her record at the venue, and Sun’s poor form, the American will be expected to make a winning start.
Pick: Taylor Townsend to win in straight sets.
Taylor Townsend vs Lulu Sun betting tips
Tip 1: The match will have at least 20 games.
Tip 2: Townsend to win at least one set with a score of 6-3.
Edited by Rohit
