Day 4 at the first WTA 1000 of the season, in Indian Wells, will feature the debut of half of the seeds, including World #5 Caroline Garcia, among many other elite players. Some of the matches might look one-sided but there’s usually a lot of upsets early on in the desert as the playing conditions are so different from the majority of the tour.
WTA Indian Wells Day 4 Predictions
Peyton Stearns vs Bianca Andreescu
Head-to-head: first meeting
Andreescu is a former Grand Slam champion, but she’s very far from the level that took her to those heights and actually comes into this tournament on the back of three consecutive defeats. Stearns has been winning a lot of matches recently, even if a lower level; she has won 13 of her last 14 matches and will surely have a lot of confidence going into this match. She might well be capable of scoring an upset win here.
Prediction: Stearns in 3
Marketa Vondrousova vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: Vondrousova 1-0 Bouzkova
Despite Bouzkova’s far higher ranking, it’s Vondrousova who starts as the favorite in this all-Czech affair. Bouzkova has been struggling so far in 2023, while Vondrousova has been playing at a very good level, even scoring an incredible upset win over Ons Jabeur at the Australian Open. She should have the slight edge here based on form and momentum.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 3
Paula Badosa vs Nuria Parrizas-Diaz
Head-to-head: first meeting
Badosa’s 2023 has been very complicated; she was forced to miss the Australian Open due to injuries and lost in the first round twice in a row after returning. She’ll be desperate to get a win and some momentum going and this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so. Her fellow countrywoman shouldn’t be able to put much resistance here, especially considering the conditions at Indian Wells.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Dalma Galfi vs Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: first meeting
On paper, this look like a very one-sided match, but Galfi will surely have some confidence after the way she beat Danielle Collins in the first round here in a match where she was also a significant underdog. That said, Garcia is the clearly superior player and should be able to pull through here.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
