Coco Gauff was among the top seeds who struggled in their second rounds at the WTA Indian Wells Masters, but a bit like Aryna Sabalenka she managed to pull off an incredible comeback. The American will now be trying to secure a more confident win against Lucia Bronzetti, while Naomi Osaka is also involved in Day 6 action, taking on Elise Mertens. We also predict the rest of the day’s action in a separate article. Who do you think will come out on top?
WTA Indian Wells Day 6 Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: First meeting
Emma Navarro, from an ITF breakout, turned herself into a proper main tour force this year and it seems that she’s not done developing yet. 16-5 for the season, the American is displaying some pretty incredible grit and consistency. Elina Svitolina in the meantime has re-established herself back at the top of the sport. She’s probably still the better player here, but the slower conditions might give Navarro a decent shot. Svitolina will need to balance her natural game and the post-comeback aggression well.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
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Anna Blinkova vs Diane Parry
Head-to-head: First meeting
Two players who are quietly enjoying a bit of a breakthrough season. While there was nothing quiet about Anna Blinkova’s win over Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, something that has gone a bit unnoticed is how the erratic Russian has recently found a lot more consistency. Diane Parry on the other hand is getting a lot of out of her serve these days and winning matches in most events she plays. Who’s the favorite here? Probably Blinkova, whose weaponry is a bit more threatening and who performed incredibly well in the first two rounds.
Prediction: Blinkova in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Elise Mertens
Head-to-head: Osaka 3-1
The comeback of Naomi Osaka is still a little bit untested in terms of how serious it will turn out to be, but Elise Mertens is usually a nice indicator of where you are with your game. She demands a certain standard from her opponents and while she might struggle to beat the top players regularly, you’re not going to take her down playing subpar stuff. Osaka used to like the matchup, but more importantly she seems to be getting back to a better standard with every performance. If the 2018 champion plays well, she should pull this off.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Lucia Bronzetti vs Coco Gauff
Head-to-head: Gauff 1-0
It was such a close call for Coco Gauff in the opening round, Clara Burel leading her 4-0 and 5-2 in the deciding set. It’s not like the Frenchwoman didn’t have the attacking arsenal to put her under some pressure, but all the key moments were just about the US Open champion playing with a bit more focus and limiting the errors to prevail. It’s doubtful if Lucia Bronzetti will even be able to put Gauff in such a position again, but even if it happens the American looks like she will problem-solve her way out of trouble.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
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Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
