It’s time for the top half of the WTA draw to join the party in Indian Wells. Belinda Bencic is still ranked outside the Top 50, despite gaining over 900 points this season already. As long as the Swiss is unseeded for events like this, she should remain a very dangerous floater in almost every draw. In the opening round, she’s revisiting an old rivalry with Tatjana Maria. Who do you think will advance to the next stage fo the 2025 BNP Paribas Open?
WTA Indian Wells Day 2 Predictions
Anastasia Potapova vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-head: First meeting
Anastasia Potapova’s career has taken a few small detours, but the Russian is now back in form with the title in Cluj this year and a 5-0 record in her opening round matches. While being a quarterfinalist in Indian Wells in 2024 doesn’t have to mean much with the new courts, she’s got a versatile game and can adjust to basically any conditions. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro has been struggling for wins to start the season and shouldn’t be that much of a challenge.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Caty McNally vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Caty McNally missed most of last season with an injury and has only been able to grab a couple of solid ITF runs since. Ajla Tomljanovic had similar issues a year earlier, but has now made her way back into the Top 100. After the Australian reached the semifinals in Austin last week and lost a tight three-setter to Jessica Pegula, it seems like she is currently much closer to her best than McNally is to hers. Only needing one match in the qualifying should help manage the potential fatigue too.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Veronika Kudermetova vs Jaqueline Cristian
Head-to-head: Cristian 2-1
Veronika Kudermetova seems to have raised her game again this year, reaching the Australian Open fourth round and then getting a lot of match practice from the Middle East swing with every event starting for her in the qualifying draw. Then again, the Russian’s hardly a consistent player and often has nightmare days at the office. Jaqueline Cristian’s head-to-head lead doesn’t feel too relevant given their last encounter came back in 2021, so Kudermetova will probably pull through even if she makes it messy.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
Belinda Bencic vs Tatjana Maria
Head-to-head: Bencic 2-0
It’s been almost exactly ten years since they last faced each other in Miami in 2015. Belinda Bencic is enjoying a tremendous return from maternity leave, including a WTA 500 title in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, it’s admirable what Tatjana Maria is still capable of at 37 years of age. But experienced players like Bencic usually don’t struggle as much with her tricky slice-and-dice style and this one seems like a bit of a mismatch right now. Won’t be long before the Swiss is getting seeded at events like this again.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
