Among the players starting their WTA Indian Wells campaigns on Saturday will be No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini and No. 3 seed Coco Gauff. The American looks to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat after starting the season with nine wins in a row. Paolini takes on 17-year-old Iva Jovic, one of the brightest local up-and-comers. Who do you think will come out on top?
WTA Indian Wells Day 4 Predictions
Sonay Kartal vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Head-to-head: First meeting
Beatriz Haddad Maia is a streaky player with a 2-7 record for the year, and both wins came at the Australian Open. But the Brazilian can turn the corner at any time and certainly isn’t that easy to beat on most days. Sonay Kartal entered the event as a lucky loser and defeated the veteran 38-year-old Varvara Lepchenko in the opening round. Especially if it gets windy again (which it often does in Indian Wells), the marathon woman Haddad Maia might just grind her down.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
Magdalena Frech vs Lucia Bronzetti
Head-to-head: Bronzetti 2-0
Lucia Bronzetti defeated Magdalena Frech twice in 2024, but the Pole had a breakout season with a WTA 500 title and a Top 30 debut. It’s clear that Bronzetti’s solid style isn’t the best fit for her game and slower conditions don’t really suit her type of grinding either. She needs some pop from the surface or for the slice to be an effective defensive tool. It’s not like Frech is locked out of this one, but potentially beating the Italian would require plenty of effort.
Prediction: Bronzetti in 3
Jasmine Paolini vs Iva Jovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
That rain delay on Thursday came at a great moment for Iva Jovic, and the 17-year-old star returned the next day to produce a comeback win. The teenager has already proven herself on the WTA Tour and is capable of producing upsets. But Jasmine Paolini seems a little too out of her league for now. If the Italian’s ankle is fine now after she rolled it in Dubai, this might be a rough experience for Jovic, like the one she had against Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
Coco Gauff vs Moyuka Uchijima
Head-to-head: First meeting
After the United Cup, Coco Gauff seemed like she had sorted out her forehand issues and briefly looked like the best player in the world. It was a disappointing exit for Paula Badosa at the Australian Open, and World No. 3 followed it up with a couple of quick losses in Doha and Dubai. Now, she has to avoid falling into a losing streak. Even after the revamp, the courts in Indian Wells should be slow enough for her to feel pretty comfortable here. Three losses in a row are likely going to be where the poor run ends.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
