With eight third-round matches on the slate, and more than one Grand Slam champion in action, there should be plenty of entertaining tennis on Day 5 at the WTA Indian Wells Open. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Simona Halep vs Coco Gauff. But who will book their place in the the round of 16?
Indian Wells Day 6 Predictions
Ludmilla Samsonova vs Danka Kovinic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Danka Kovinic has endured a frustrating start to the season, mostly due to injuries. When she has been fit, she has impressed. She reached the third round at the Australian Open, beating US Open champion Emma Raducanu en route, and she has scored excellent wins over Jil Teichmann, 7-5 7-5, and seventh seed Petra Kvitova, 2-6 7-5 6-4, so far this week. But she faces a potentially stern test in 28th seed Ludmilla Samsonova. Samsonova beat Ann Li 4-6 6-4 6-3 to start her campaign.
It hasn’t been a particularly inspiring season from the 23-year-old so far, however. She lost her first match of 2022 to Andrea Petkovic and that has rather set the tone for Samsonova so far, with her best effort so far a quarterfinal showing in Adelaide. As there is relatively little between these two, despite the disparity in the ranks, it is hard not to go with the player in form. And that player is surely Montenegro’s Kovinic.
Prediction: Kovinic in 3
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Emma Raducanu vs Petra Martic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Emma Raducanu would surely dearly love a deep run at the WTA Indian Wells Open. The US Open champion has had a hard time of things since winning her first Major. It appears that she has struggled to cope with the pressure that comes with being a Grand Slam champion. But she is also still just 19 and, so far this season, she has looked like a player feeling their way back to an even keel. She was not at her most convincing in her 6-1 3-6 6-1 win over Caroline Garcia, but it was a good win all the same.
Petra Martic has beaten Anna Bondar and 19th seed Tamara Zidansek to reach this stage. The Croatian has struggled over the past couple of seasons, but she remains a very fine player when she is on song. Key to her success is the variety of shots she can call upon from the baseline. But Raducanu’s ability to put the ball in difficult areas prevents her opponents from using their variety against her. With the conditions appearing to suit her game, expect Raducanu to score another valuable win.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
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Harriet Dart vs Kaia Kanepi
Head-to-head: Kanepi 1-0 Dart
Harriet Dart has looked sharp so far in 2022. The Briton’s junior career promised much, but so far she has struggled to deliver on that promise. This season, however, she has looked ready to establish herself at tour level. She has reached the main draw as a qualifier in the Gippsland Trophy and at the Australian Open, and reached the final round of qualifying at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships. This week, she has won four matches already at the WTA Indian Wells Open.
She came through the qualifying with wins over Lesley Kerkhove and Anastasia Gasanova, before benefitting from Ana Konjuh’s retirement in the first round. The Czech was trailing 1-6 1-3. Dart took full advantage of her good fortune, beating Elina Svitolina 2-6 6-3 6-3. But Kaia Kanepi may prove to be a difficult opponent. The Estonian is still one of the bigger hitters in the women’s game and Dart looks to be in danger of being overpowered here.
Prediction: Kanepi in 2
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Iga Swiatek vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: first meeting
Iga Swiatek has made a fine start to 2022. The Pole reached semifinals in Adelaide and at Melbourne Park, before winning the title in Qatar, demolishing top-ten rival Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-0 in the final. She maintained that fine form with a 5-7 6-0 6-1 win over Anhelina Kalinina, who had impressed with a 6-3 6-2 win over Clara Burel in the first round.
But Swiatek may face more resistance up against Clara Tauson of Denmark. The 19-year-old has been playing some solid tennis this season and proved too good for Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round. Still, Swiatek is the more complete of the two players. She should have enough to get past Tauson here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
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