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Match Details
Fixture: (14) Liudmila Samsonova vs (PR) Naomi Osaka
Date: March 9, 2024
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN/TVA
Liudmila Samsonova vs Naomi Osaka preview
Following a first-round bye, Liudmila Samsonova will lock horns with Naomi Osaka in the second round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.
Samsonova failed to make it past the opening hurdle of her first three tournaments this season, including the Australian Open. She turned things around with a semifinal finish at the Abu Dhabi Open but once again lost in the first round at the Qatar Open.
Samsonova fared a bit better at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She defeated Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets and received a walkover from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the third round. She then lost to Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 6-2.
Osaka was up against former 10 player and Major finalist Sara Errani in the first round. The four-time Major champion trailed by a break twice in the opening set but soon found her footing as she bagged four games in a row to take the set.
There was no stopping Osaka after that. She carried the momentum into the second set as well as she reeled off six straight games to score a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Naomi Osaka head-to-head
The two have never faced off before this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Naomi Osaka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Liudmila Samsonova vs Naomi Osaka prediction
Osaka overcame a sluggish start to move past Errani in the previous round. She struggled a bit on serve as she threw in nine double faults. However, the extremely windy conditions played a part as well.
While Samsonova is ranked far higher than Osaka at the moment, she isn't competing like a top-ranked player as of now. It looked like the Russian rediscovered her form in Abu Dhabi but that didn't last for too long as she made an early exit the next week.
Samsonova caught a lucky break to make a respectable run in Dubai but lost meekly to Vondrousova. Along with Osaka, the two are known to be among the tour's most powerful ball-strikers.
Osaka's inconsistency on serve could give Samsonova an opening to make a move against her. The Japanese is the more stable player from the baseline compared to her opponent but her game's a bit up-and-down too for now.
Samsonova's poor form at the moment does give Osaka a fair chance at winning this match. The latter is yet to beat a top-20 player this season but if she's able to capitalize on her opportunities, she certainly has the game to do so.
Pick: Naomi Osaka to win in three sets.
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