Seeds come into play on Day 3 at the 2022 WTA BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Doha champion Iga Swiatek takes on Anhelina Kalinina, while Angelique Kerber plays Qinwen Zheng in a brilliant matchup between a former great and a future star. Who do you think will advance?
WTA Indian Wells Day 3 Predictions
Alize Cornet vs Anna Kalinskaya
Head-to-head: First meeting
Anna Kalinskaya lost to Qiang Wang in the final qualifying round, but benefitted from a withdrawal to land a lucky loser spot in the main draw. She advanced to play Alize Cornet through a second set retirement of Harmony Tan. While the Frenchwoman hasn’t done anything of note since making the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, she’s usually quite good at outlasting her opponents, which should fit in nicely with the conditions at Indian Wells (case in point being her win against Simona Halep in the extreme heat at Melbourne).
Prediction: Cornet in 3
Ann Li vs Liudmilla Samsonova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ann Li defeated Madison Brengle in a true rollercoaster on Wednesday, saving two match points on the way to a 1-6 7-6 6-0 win. Her reward is a meeting with Liudmila Samsonova, which looks extremely tight on paper. The very slow hard court conditions in Indian Wells are a bit of a double-edged sword for the Belarusian’s heavy-hitting game–while she certainly has the power to blast through the surface, Li will have plenty of time to get balls back. With a match under her belt and playing this one at home, the American could have a tiny edge.
Prediction: Li in 3
Angelique Kerber vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: First meeting
This match has a fascinating premise–a veteran in the twilight of her career against a player who’s got the potential to be one of the stars of the game in the (near) future. Angelique Kerber is yet to win a match this season, running into red-hot performances from Kaia Kanepi and Jil Teichmann. Qinwen Zheng has a similar style, striking the ball with plenty of confidence and aggression. The youngster is in a better match rhythm and appears to be a slight favorite ahead of this one.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Iga Swiatek vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: First meeting
Iga Swiatek’s consistency in making deep runs is among the most impressive things about her–seldom does she lose early in the tournament, unless to another elite competitor. Anhelina Kalinina probably isn’t quite there yet. The Pole is famous for her clay-court prowess but can be just as good on slower hard courts, when the opponent can’t rush her forehand side that much. If she turns on the unplayable level that saw her rip apart the draw in Doha, she should be comfortable here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
