Main draw action begins on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open with sixteen matches on the women’s side. One of the most exciting ones will be the all-American battle between Elizabeth Mandlik and Alison Riske. Who do you think will prevail?
Katie Swan vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: Swan 2-0 Bucsa
Katie Swan owns a couple of head-to-head wins over Cristina Bucsa, but their last match came in 2018. After such a long time, it’s hard to talk about any advantage in the matchup. Both players have emerged from the qualifying draw without losing a set. The slower conditions in Indian Wells should give Bucsa a good opportunity to grab a first win against Swan.
Prediction: Bucsa in 3
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Elise Mertens vs Xinyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Elise Mertens had a pretty disappointing campaign in 2022, but she’s doing a bit better this year already with a 10-6 win/loss record and a semifinal appearance at Monterrey. The courts will play a lot slower than in Mexico here, but it’s not like it hurts the Belgian with her all-surface pedigree. She should be able to draw enough errors out of Xinyu Wang here.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
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Olga Danilovic vs Xiyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
How much of an advantage will Olga Danilovic’s qualifying campaign be? The Serbian managed to take out Viktorija Golubic and Kaja Juvan already, getting very familiar with the conditions. Does that make her the favorite against Xiyu Wang, who generally has a matchup advantage over her in such conditions? It should be a tight one.
Prediction: Wang in 3
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Elizabeth Mandlik vs Alison Riske
Head-to-head: Mandlik 1-0 Riske
Both players have started the year quite poorly with Elizabeth Mandlik owning a 3-7 win/loss record, while Alison Riske has only won once in seven matches. The youngster already got a win over her veteran compatriot at San Jose last year and she should have a good chance of doing that again. The conditions at Indian Wells would generally favor Riske, but she looks really out of it at the moment.
Prediction: Mandlik in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
