5/16 bottom half seeds went out in the second round of WTA Indian Wells. This brings up some unexpected matchups like Rebecca Peterson vs Jil Teichmann, but we’re also in for a few of these that looked so exciting already when the draw came out – Anastasia Potapova vs Jessica Pegula being the prime example. Who do you think will come out on top?
Maria Sakkari vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: Kalinina 1-0 Sakkari
Both players were in trouble early in their second-round matches but managed to fight back from a set down. Maria Sakkari fended off the giant-killer Shelby Rogers and really locked in her game for the deciding set, while Anhelina Kalinina seemed much more uncomfortable in her match against Linda Fruhvirtova. It feels like the Ukrainian’s counter-punching would actually be more effective against Sakkari on a lower-bouncing court.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
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Karolina Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Kudermetova 2-1 Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova is at a great 14-5 for the season right now, but it’s a stat that can’t be taken exactly at face value given she’s gone 5-0 in WTA Tour qualifying events. Still, she’s doing well and survived a difficult test against Anna Kalinskaya in the second round. This one should be pretty close with Veronika Kudermetovas also putting in some decent results despite her disappointing Australian Open losses. Slow conditions theoretically don’t suit Pliskova, but she also doesn’t have to bend her knees low and has so much time to set up for her strokes.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
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Rebecca Peterson vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jil Teichmann managed to score an upset win over her compatriot Belinda Bencic in the second round. Her heavy lefty game suits these courts pretty nicely, but the Swiss isn’t always consistent and could be ground down. Rebecca Peterson might be just the woman do it in slower conditions and she’s coming off a runner-up appearance in Merida. She might not be as skillful as Teichmann, but she’s persistent and really on top of her game at the moment.
Prediction: Peterson in 3
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Anastasia Potapova vs Jessica Pegula
Head-to-head: Pegula 2-0 Potapova
Jessica Pegula gave Anastasia Potapova just four games at the US Open two years ago, but also struggled with her a lot in Doha a few months earlier. No one would be surprised if the Russian managed to put forward a breakout campaign this year and she’s off to a good start with a WTA title in Linz. But can she take down the consistency queen Jessica Pegula, who’s 14-4 in 2023 and hasn’t lost prior to the quarterfinals? Probably not, especially as her first match this week was quite messy.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Main Photo Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
