We’re into the second round of the 2022 WTA BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. This is where the seeds come into play, including Garbine Muguruza, who’s taking on Alison Riske. Who do you think will prevail?
WTA Indian Wells Day 3 Predictions
Daria Kasatkina vs Katie Volynets
Head-to-head: First meeting
Daria Kasatkina lost three of her last five matches, all of them to Iga Swiatek. She hasn’t even played poorly, just run into three very good performances by the in-form Pole. She should enjoy a more pleasant draw here (although another matchup with her nemesis could be on the cards as early as round four!). Katie Volynets is a talented individual, but she hasn’t been able to secure that breakout win yet. She might have to wait some more.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: Tomljanovic 2-0
Ajla Tomljanovic took their both meetings on hard courts, but the most recent one came four years ago and this seems like a straight-up form of the day matchup. Sorana Cirstea has the slight edge in terms of even form, while the Australian has already had a chance to accustom herself to the conditions, defeating Hailey Baptiste in the opening round. It certainly wasn’t a perfect performance though and Cirstea has simply been more solid recently.
Prediction: Cirstea in 3
Kaia Kanepi vs Belinda Bencic
Head-to-head: Bencic 1-0
This week is Kaia Kanepi’s first appearance since making the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. The 36-year-old veteran has just had one of her best tournaments ever and kept it up with a very comfortable win over Robin Montgomery in the opening round here. Kanepi has a reputation for being a giant killer and while you can never quite predict it, Belinda Bencic’s uninspiring form makes another upset possible here. The Swiss prefers faster conditions where she can take the ball early and if Kanepi is redlining again, she might struggle to find the answers.
Prediction: Kanepi in 3
Garbine Muguruza vs Alison Riske
Head-to-head: 2-2
It’s an interesting rivalry where only one set thus far ended in a 6-4 scoreline. All the other ones were more lopsided, which is contrasted by the fact that Garbine Muguruza and Alison Riske have split their four previous meetings. Someone will have to take a lead in this head-to-head though and odds are it will be the Spaniard. While many expected her to capitalize on her WTA Finals title run from 2021 and enter the new season with plenty of confidence, she hasn’t quite been able to do that. Muguruza’s won at least a match in every tournament in 2022 so far, but will need to remain cautious here as Riske has really managed to rebuild her form of late.
Prediction: Muguruza in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
