By Tony Fairbairn
- Petra Kvitova [15] v Jelena Ostapenko [24]
- Casper Ruud [3] v Cristian Garin
- Coco Gauff [6] v Linda Noskova
INDIAN WELLS, USA – Former Grand Slam champions Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko clash as third round action begins at Indian Wells.
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Petra Kvitova [15] v Jelena Ostapenko [24] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Petra Kvitova [15] v Jelena Ostapenko [24] | H2H: Kvitova leads 5-4 |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| First night match on Stadium 2, not before 6pm (1am GMT, Monday) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Petra Kvitova is doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing at this stage of her career and that is winning the easy earlier rounds with that remaining the case in her opening match at Indian Wells. However the former Wimbledon champion has struggled over the last few months to make a case as to why she is a contender for the big titles. As time begins to run out, can Kvitova make one last big run at a big tournament and prove that she still has more to offer.
The first obstacle in achieving that goal for Kvitova is fellow Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko. It seemed at the Australian Open, Ostapenko was well on her way to being a consistent threat on the tour after reaching the quarter-finals in Melbourne. However her form since then has proven that is far from the case with the Latvian only producing her best tennis at the big tournaments. Now with perfect conditions to make a statement in, Ostapenko is looking to take her big and powerful tennis all the way to the title in California.
This will be a big-hitting match with Ostapenko’s defensive skillset a bit more consistent than Kvitova’s right now. Kvitova will need to have a good serving day if she wants to win this match but the higher bouncing conditions will allow Ostapenko to dictate play from the baseline successfully. Although this will be a tight contest the fiery Latvian should prevail in a fierce third round encounter.
Prediction: Ostapenko in three sets.
Casper Ruud [3] v Cristian Garin H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Casper Ruud [3] v Cristian Garin | H2H: Garin leads 2-1 |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| First in Stadium 1 at 11am (7pm GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
This season hasn’t gone according to plan for Casper Ruud after 2022 saw him reach two Grand Slam finals as well as reaching the final of the Nitto ATP Finals. However victory over Diego Schwartzman may be the confidence booster he needs but now has to back that victory up which has been hard for the Norwegian to do this season. Can Ruud find his form and find consistency in a turbulent season?
In order for Ruud to achieve that, he will have to get past stubborn Chilean Cristian Garin. Garin hasn’t had the ideal start to the season but as Wimbledon proved last season, the Chilean has an aggressive game to cause any players problems. The world number 97 doesn’t exactly need the clay courts to prove his qualities and now Garin will look to secure a big victory to boost his season.
This is a big match for both with Garin’s accurate serving going up against Ruud’s attacking returning. Neither player are in confident form right now but also both players will like the Californian conditions. At the moment Garin is the slight favourite given his ability to be aggressive from the baseline but if Ruud can play his way into form then he should come through in straight sets.
Prediction: Garin in three sets.
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Coco Gauff [6] v Linda Noskova H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Coco Gauff [6] v Linda Noskova | H2H: First Meeting |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $55,770 |
| Third match on Stadium 1, not before 3pm (10pm GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Coco Gauff has started the year with purpose, winning a title in Auckland to start the season followed by consistent results after that. However Gauff would like to do better against players around her in the rankings as the American will aim to develop the technical elements to her game. Now Gauff will continue to do that at Indian Wells where she has the opportunity to win the biggest singles title of her career.
Next up for Gauff is fellow fearless teenager Linda Noskova after the Czech Republican defeated Amanda Anisimova in the last round. Noskova had a stunning start to the season in Adelaide with the world number 54 having more success on her mind as she looks to take her aggressive game to the bigger tournaments. As the 18 year-old has limited ranking points to defend, Noskova will play freely as she aims for another big result at Indian Wells.
Gauff will use her serve to be aggressive and shorten the rallies, not allowing Noskova to play her game. The Czech Republican will look to use the angles to catch Gauff off guard and force the errors from the American. This will be a big hitting affair and Noskova’s slightly more solid defensive play may edge her towards victory in this match.
Prediction: Noskova in three sets.
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