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PREVIEW: 2025 WTA Tour – Indian Wells Open – Selected RO64 matches

The Indian Wells Open continues this week as Qinwen Zheng faces Victoria Azarenka as Clara Tauson goes up against Camila Osorio in the competition’s round of 64. Damien Kayat previews.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in action against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy during the Women's Singles first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament.

The Indian Wells Open continues this week as Qinwen Zheng faces Victoria Azarenka as Clara Tauson goes up against Camila Osorio in the competition’s round of 64. Damien Kayat previews.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

2025 WTA Tour – WTA 1000
Indian Wells Open
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Selected RO64 – 7 March

Qinwen Zheng 44/100 | Victoria Azarenka 7/4

In my first preview this week, I neglected to mention this year’s Indian Wells surfaces have been resurfaced to Laykold (theoretically to make things quicken up a bit). Reactions have been mixed thus far, with Daniil Medvedev even claiming that the courts seem slower.

I would say the courts will probably quicken up a bit as the tournament progresses. Qinwen Zheng will be hoping that a new surface means new fortunes.

The Chinese superstar enjoyed a banner 2024 campaign, reaching a maiden Grand Slam final and winning the coveted Olympic Gold Medal in singles (not to mention she finished runner-up at the WTA Finals). But she is currently 1-3 for the season, bringing a three-match losing streak into this event.

She apparently suffered bad calf cramps during her Dubai loss to Peyton Stearns. She has a boom-or-bust serve that can become unreliable in tight situations. She is vulnerable off that backhand wing and her combative attitude can be a bit of a distraction.

She has never gone beyond the 2nd round here and will be hoping that the new surfaces are more receptive to her big serve, big forehand style.

35-year-old veteran Victoria Azarenka is certainly in the twilight of what has been a glorious career. She had a poor start to this campaign, winning just two of her first six matches. This week she received a favourable first-round draw against the inexperienced American Clervie Ngounoue.

She was workmanlike in her opener, flattening out her groundstrokes en route to a tight straight-sets win. Azarenka is a player who just has the innate ability to elevate her game for the big occasion (just think of that 2019 run to the US Open final). She loves this time of the year and has enjoyed huge success during both legs of the ‘Sunshine Double’.

She won this event in 2012 and 2016 (also finishing runner-up as recently as 2021). She had a poor 2024 season but still managed to show up during this portion of the season, reaching the semifinals in Miami (an event she has won three times).

Azarenka isn’t the hardcourt player she once was but may feel some encouragement if the courts are that little bit quicker.

The Verdict: Azarenka to win in straight sets 36/10

Azarenka leads the head-to-head 2-0, winning their most recent meeting in straight sets at last year’s Miami Open. The Belarusian seems to know what it takes to defeat the Chinese star. Azarenka likes to be aggressive and flatten out her groundstrokes.

But she can also counterpunch effectively and will probably be inclined to use that tactic against an out-of-form, error-prone Zheng. Azarenka just need to keep those double-faults down (she has served 21 double faults in her last three matches).

Clara Tauson 29/100 | Camila Osorio 5/2

Clara Tauson- who struggled for years with injury and form issues- has been one of this year’s success stories, bringing an impressive 15-4 record into this clash. Tauson started the season in emphatic style, winning her first title in four years in Auckland (Osaka withdrew while leading by one set to love in the final).

She reached the 3rd round of the Aussie Open before recording a solid semifinal run in Linz. She withdrew from Qatar due to illness but would then have the week of her life in Dubai, finishing runner-up to Mirra Andreeva in one of the most surprising WTA 1000 events in recent memory.

To put that into context, Tauson had never previously gone beyond the 3rd round in a WTA 1000 event. She picked up some marquee victories in Dubai, taking down World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka before knocking out Karolina Muchova in the semis.

Tauson has a well-balanced, aggressive game. She hits cleanly off both wings and loves to come forward when she can. She hasn’t always been the greatest mover but seems to have done plenty of work on that in the off-season.

23-year-old Colombian Camila Osorio just picked up her first career victory at Indian Wells, triumphing over an error-prone Naomi Osaka in straight sets. Osorio put in a solid defensive performance against the Japanese star, defending deep in the court and frustrating her opponent into errors.

The result improved Osorio’s 2025 record to a solid 5-3. She reached the quarterfinals of the Singapore Tennis Open but was forced to withdraw from last week’s Merida Open due to abdominal pain. Osorio hasn’t played too much tennis this season and looks refreshed this week.

The defensive baseliner won her 2nd Copa Colsanitas title last year, highlighting her ability to perform on slower surfaces. These new Indian Wells surfaces don’t look especially quick yet and Osorio might feel comfortable in the conditions.

However, she served six double-faults against Osaka and that isn’t going to do it against an in-form Tauson.

The Verdict: Tauson to win in straight sets 73/100

Osorio leads the head-to-head 1-0, winning their only previous meeting – on clay – in 2021 (Tauson was forced to retire). This appears to be an entirely different iteration of Clara Tauson.

She is moving much more freely and should be able to keep up with the athletic Osorio. I just think that Tauson will have too much firepower for the Colombian.

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