The second round of the 2022 WTA BNP Paribas Open will be completed on Saturday in Indian Wells, California. Anett Kontaveit starts her campaign against Kristina Kucova, but a couple of other clashes sound much more appealing. Among them is the talented youngster Marta Kostyuk, facing the ultra-consistent Elise Mertens. Who do you think will prevail?
WTA Indian Wells Day 4 Predictions
Jessica Pegula vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 2-1
This match goes a little under the radar, but it could be one of the ties of the round. Marie Bouzkova is coming into this event with plenty of momentum, having reached the final at Guadalajara and a quarterfinal at Monterrey. Having already played seven sets here will probably be more of an advantage than an issue too, with her being so much more familiar with the conditions than Jessica Pegula will be. The American is one of the toughest players to upset with her stellar counter-punching, but Bouzkova is playing well enough to have a real shot here. It’s a shame they have to meet this early, because both have legitimate dark horse potential.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Astra Sharma
Head-to-head: First meeting
A healthy Victoria Azarenka remains up there with the very best, but the Belarusian has had to withdraw from a number of tournaments in recent times. That includes her last appearance at Doha and gives her potential performance here a slight degree of uncertainty. Astra Sharma did very well to defeat Magda Linette after entering the draw as a lucky loser, but will probably need a very subpar version of Azarenka to pull off another upset. It appears unlikely.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Elise Mertens vs Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-head: First meeting
It was a very emotional hard-fought win for Marta Kostyuk on Thursday as she dispatched Maryna Zanevska in a thriller that had undertones related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (now a Belgian, Zanevska was born in Odessa and used to represent Kostyuk’s country until 2016). The 19-year-old has been very open about the situation impacting her, but the level she shows on the court remains sky-high at times. Her game is still very raw but with a very high ceiling, giving her a degree of unpredictability. Elise Mertens is much more stable, which can be perceived as both an asset and a flaw of her game. Kostyuk has the potential to win this and is a very live underdog in this one.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Anett Kontaveit vs Kristina Kucova
Head-to-head: First meeting
There’s little point arguing that Anett Kontaveit hasn’t been the best tennis player of the past six months or so, with the only thing missing from her resume being a big title (Grand Slam or WTA 1000). You need to perform at an incredibly high level to beat her and only a select few have been able to do that. Kristina Kucova has never really exhibited that sort of potential and would probably need an off-day from the Estonian to stand a chance here. At least of late, off-days and Kontaveit don’t really go together.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
