Day 3 at the WTA BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, is filled with intriguing matches as many of the 32 seeded players will be in action after receiving a Round 1 bye. There is a lot at stake in the first leg of the Sunshine Double, and we should expect to see the best players in the world come out motivated and ready to play. Many of the top seeds are in action on Friday, including No. 3 Jessica Pegula. The American squares off against an in-form Camila Giorgi. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Indian Wells. But who will advance?
WTA Indian Wells Day 3 Predictions
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-Head: Kudermetova 3-0 Blinkova
Veronika Kudermetova enters the BNP Paribas Open as the No. 11 seed with high hopes of advancing deep into the draw. The 25-year-old briefly broke into the top 10 last October and has a lot of points to defend after reaching the quarterfinals of this event last year. She faces a familiar foe in round two — countrywoman Anna Blinkova. Blinkova reached the semifinals in Hobart to start the year but is just 2-5 since then (with both wins coming over Ann Li). The 24-year-old has the tools to beat a player of Kudermetova’s caliber; However, I do not believe this week will be when it happens. The current conditions in Southern California favor Kudermetova’s game.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 2
Linda Noskova vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-Head: first meeting
NextGen talents Linda Noskova and Amanda Anisimova will meet for the first time on Friday in Indian Wells. Noskova, 18, and Anismova, 21, are both supremely talented players with hopes of putting it all together on one of the biggest events on the calendar. Despite being three years younger, Noskova has been the better player to start the 2023 season. She holds a 12-4 record compared to Anisimova’s 3-5 record. The American has struggled to keep her composure and has often given up midway through matches. If both players bring their A-game, we should see some high-quality hitting off both wings. Anisimova is the No. 31 seed, but I give a slight edge to Noskova due to her consistency to start the season.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Xinyu Wang
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Ekaterina Alexandrova and Xinyu Wang are set to square off for the first time on Friday in Indian Wells. Alexandrova enters this event as the No. 18 seed, though she has yet to push past the third round of any tournament this year. The 21-year-old Wang holds a 12-8 record this year in what looks to be her first full season playing exclusively at the WTA level. She has all the tools to break through to the top of the sport; the question for Wang thus far has been her consistency. She is, however, coming off a 6-3 6-1 Round 1 beatdown of Elise Mertens and seems to favor the conditions in Southern California. I expect this to be a very back-and-forth match, but I see the underdog finding a way through the third round of this 1000-level event.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Camila Giorgi
Head-to-Head: Pegula 6-2 Giorgi
No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula looks to continue her strong start to the season with a deep run at the BNP Paribas Open. She suffered a round two exit in last year’s edition of this event and should be motivated to impress on home soil. Pegula will square off against Camila Giorgi on Friday, a player she holds a 6-2 head-to-head record against. These two played two three-set matches against each other last season and have always mirrored each other stylistically. Giorgi won the title in Merida two weeks ago and is playing some of the best tennis of her career to start the 2023 season. I expect her to push the No. 3 seed to the brink, but ultimately Pegula’s consistency from the baseline will win out.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
