Damien Kayat previews four of the round of 128 matches coming your way from the WTA Tour's Indian Wells Masters.
2021 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Indian Wells Masters
Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California
Selected Round of 128 Matches- 6th-7th October
Shelby Rogers 1/3 | Anhelina Kalinina 9/4
Shelby Rogers is an accomplished hardcourt player who has run into some schizophrenic form of late. She beat World Number One Ash Barty before bowing out to Emma Radacanu at the US Open. She then played at the Chicago Classic, defeating Bianca Andreescu before losing to unheralded debutant Mai Hontama.
Anhelina Kalinina has been out for three weeks after injuring herself at the Portoroz Open. Prior to that, she had lost in the 2nd round of the US Open to Angelique Kerber. She reached her first WTA Final earlier this year in Budapest. However, that came on her much-preferred clay courts. This is going to be a massive challenge for the Ukrainian. This will also be the first career meeting between the two.
Verdict: Rogers to win in straight sets at 81/100. Rogers is just far too accomplished a hardcourt player to trip up against Kalinina.
Kim Clijsters 43/20 | Katerina Siniakova 7/20
Former World Number One Kim Clijsters is going to have one last crack at the professional circuit. She actually started her comeback with a hard-fought three-set defeat to Hseih Su-Wei last week in Chicago. Clijsters is a two-time former Indian Wells champion, beating Lyndsay Davenport in 2003 and 2005. But is this a step too far? She hasn’t won a singles match since 2012, losing all three of her comeback matches.
Siniakova has actually compiled a decent 2021 record of 22-17. She reached the final in Hamburg and recently reached the quarters in Prague and Cleveland. She has shone on the doubles circuit, winning doubles Olympic Gold and a 2nd French Open doubles title alongside compatriot Barbora Krejcikova.
Verdict: Siniakova to win in straight sets at 84/100. I was really tempted to go down the sentimental route here. But the 25-year-old Czech is a solid professional who should have too much athleticism for the four-time Grand Slam champion. Clijsters is 38. Just look at how time has caught up to Serena Williams in recent years. I just can’t envisage a fairy-tale ending this week.
Yulia Putintseva 48/100 | Andrea Petkovic 16/10
Yulia Putintseva has essentially been the Casper Rudd of the women’s tour this year. The 26-year-old Kazakh has really played well in low-tier events. She won the Hungarian Open as the number one seed. She then reached the semi-finals in Portoroz. She is entering this event off the back of a fairly dispiriting defeat in the final of her home event in Nur-Sultan. A three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, Putintseva will go into this match as the favourite.
34-year-old German Andrea Petkovic enters this event with little form to speak of. She was a bit unfortunate to run into Garbine Muguruza in the 2nd round of the US Open. She also drew Jessica Pegula in the 2nd round of the Chicago Classic. But the former top 10 player still has the ability to spring a result. She won her 7th title earlier this year at the Winners Open.
The Verdict: Putintseva to win in three sets at 32/10. Putintseva leads the tight head-to-head 3-2. Petkovic actually won their last match at this year’s Hamburg Open. I have the inkling that Petkovic could pull off an upset, especially after Putintseva’s deflating defeat in last week’s Astana Open final. But ultimately I think the Ukrainian should be able to outlast the 34-year-old German.
Sloane Stephens 39/100 | Heather Watson 19/10
This is a meeting between two familiar foes. Stephens is an oddity. The former US Open Champion and Roland Garros runner-up hasn’t always had her mind firmly focused on tennis. This year has been a mixed bag for the American. She played well on clay, reaching the semi-finals in Parma and manoeuvring into the 2nd week at the French Open. She has endured a pretty miserable North American swing, suffering early exits at Silicon Valley, Toronto and Cincinnati.
Heather Watson is in abject form. She reached the semi-finals in Eastbourne but has since been abysmal. She hasn’t won a main draw match in seven tournaments since Eastbourne. But in Sloane Stephens she faces a mercurial competitor who she has actually dominated throughout her career.
The Verdict: Watson to win in three sets at 56/10. Watson needs this. Plus, she leads the American 5-2 in their head-to-head record. Watson actually beat Stephens in straight sets when they last met in Miami. Stephens also has the reputation of being notoriously erratic with form. I just think this could be an upset special. Watson is still a quality player: she won her 4th WTA title in Mexico last year.
