By Tony Fairbairn
- Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Coco Gauff [6]
- Daniil Medvedev [5] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [23]
- Maria Sakkari [7] v Petra Kvitova [15]
INDIAN WELLS, USA – Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff battle in a highly anticipated contest as a place in the semi-finals of Indian Wells is at stake.
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Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Coco Gauff [6] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Aryna Sabalenka [2] v Coco Gauff [6] | H2H: Gauff leads 3-1 |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $184,465 |
| Second on Stadium One (Not before 20:00 GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
A hard-fought win for Aryna Sabalenka over Barbora Krejcikova sees her into the quarter-finals at Indian Wells. This victory isn’t just a step closer to consistency for Sabalenka but also the satisfaction of beating one of her closest rivals and a fellow Grand Slam champion. Tennis is a confidence sport and Sabalenka will take a lot of confidence from her grit and power that she produced against Krejcikova as she looks to continue the momentum into the rest of the tournament.
Sabalenka will now take on a player that she has struggled to beat in the past in the form of Coco Gauff. The American has proved her potential on many occasions but the sixth seed is also hit and miss which proved to be the case during her three set victory over Rebecca Peterson. Gauff is an energetic player that clearly has a lot of talent but still has a lot of work to do especially on the forehand side which can break down under pressure. The American will look to continue to improve her development as she looks to win a big tournament in California.
Both players will look to be aggressive from the baseline with Sabalenka looking to use the angles to test Gauff’s stability on the forehand side. Meanwhile Gauff will look to serve accurately and consistently to test Sabalenka’s occasionally erratic return. The American has the ability to win this match but at the moment Sabalenka’s consistency and confidence may prove too much for an erratic Gauff.
Prediction: Sabalenka in three sets.
Daniil Medvedev [5] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [23] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Daniil Medvedev [5] v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [23] | H2H: Medvedev leads 2-0 |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $184,465 |
| Third on Stadium One (Not before 22:00 GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Another match and another day where Daniil Medvedev complains about how slow the courts are at Indian Wells. However it wasn’t just the slow courts, Medvedev had to overcome as he overcame an ankle injury and a gritty performance from Alexander Zverev in a three hour battle. That means it’s now 17 wins in a row for Medvedev who looks to win his fourth consecutive ATP title at Indian Wells and establish himself as the dominant force in the men’s game.
Next for Medvedev is athletic Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina who has already overcome Karen Khachanov and Cristian Garin to reach the last eight in California. After reaching the final in Monte-Carlo last year, Davidovich Fokina will be determined for more success at Masters 1000 level with the Spaniard improving his tactical awareness with each passing week. Now the world number 27 will look to continue to elevate his ranking as he eyes a ranking spot at Roland Garros.
This will be another match which will see both players grind from the baseline as Davidovich Fokina looks to use his variety to make Medvedev uncomfortable at the net. Meanwhile Medvedev will look to use angles and depth to force errors from the Spaniard’s game. This should be a long and brutal match but Medvedev’s confidence should get him through this match as long as he can keep his emotions under control.
Prediction: Medvedev in three sets.
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Maria Sakkari [7] v Petra Kvitova [15] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Maria Sakkari [7] v Petra Kvitova [15] | H2H: Sakkari leads 4-3 |
| Indian Wells 2023 | Indian Wells, USA |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $184,465 |
| Fourth on Stadium One (Not before Midnight GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Maria Sakkari hasn’t had the easiest last year but the Greek’s three set victory over Karolina Pliskova proves the reason why she is a consistent top ten player. Sakkari’s ability to never give up and her counter-attacking abilities show why she shouldn’t be underestimated as she looks to become a contender for the major titles. A run to the semi-finals here at Indian Wells could be the start of a more rejuvenated version of herself and could be the confidence boost she needs ahead of the rest of the season.
Next up for Sakkari is a player that she has relatively good success against in the form of Petra Kvitova. Kvitova continued to be Jessica Pegula’s kryptonite after another victory over the American. The Czech Republican is looking to prove that she can challenge for any title when she’s on her game as he power hitting and accurate serving has caused most of the tour problems over the course of her career. Now Kvitova looks to achieve another big result and reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells.
Kvitova will look to consistently outpower Sakkari from the baseline and use her big serve to neutralise the defensive game of the Greek. Meanwhile Sakkari will look to use the angles to move Kvitova out of position and set up effective winners from the back of the court. This should be an entertaining tussle but Sakkari’s grinding tennis and baseline power should prove too much for Kvitova.
Prediction: Sakkari in three sets.
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