Indian Wells 2021: Simona Halep vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Match details

Fixture: (11) Simona Halep vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Date: 10 October 2021

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: Third Round (Round of 32)

Venue: Indian Wells, USA

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,761,725

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Simona Halep vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview

Former champion and 11th seed Simona Halep will battle Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round of the 2021 BNP Paribas Open on Sunday. While Halep overcame Marta Kostyuk 7-6(2), 6-1 in the secoround, Aliaksandra Sasnovich pulled off a stunning 6-2, 6-4 upset of US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

Halep started the year with a quarter-final finish at the Australian Open before going on to make the last four in Stuttgart. A string of injuries, however, forced her to skip a number of tournaments, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Her inactivity resulted in her departure from the top 10 for the first time in seven years. She returned to the tour during the American hardcourt swing and charted a run to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.

Halep, who won Indian Wells in 2015, will be hoping to go all the way once again.

Aliaksandra Sasnovich during her match against Emma Raducanu

The Romanian's next opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, has had a rather mediocre season. Her best performances came in Saint-Malo, Belgrade and Cleveland, where she reached the quarterfinals. The World No. 100 also made the last four in doubles in Cincinnati alongside Anna Blinkova.

But barring those results, she's failed to make much of an impact on the tour. Her record at Indian Wells does not make for great reading either; the Belarusian has never been beyond the third round in the Californian desert.

However, she will be high on confidence after her stunning victory over Raducanu in the second round, and she will look to carry the momentum into her third-round clash with Halep.

Simona Halep vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head

The only previous meeting between Simona Halep and Aliaksandra Sasnovich took place in 2019 at Wimbledon, where Halep won in straight sets. Hence, their head-to-head currently stands at 1-0 in favor of the Romanian.

Simona Halep vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich prediction

Simona Halep during her match against Marta Kostyuk

Both players have contrasting game-styles. While Simona Halep possesses incredible shot tolerance, speed and defensive abilities, Aliaksandra Sasnovich is equipped with heavy groundstrokes that allow her to dictate play from the baseline.

Neither player has a very strong serve and this match could feature quite a few breaks. Halep and Sasnovich won only around 67% of the points on first serve in their respective second-round matches and conceded five break points apiece.

Halep did well to navigate the hard-hitting Kostyuk last time around, and she should be able to neutralize Sasnovich's power as well. As long as the Romanian stays composed during the crunch moments, she should be able to cross the finish line.

Prediction: Simona Halep to win in three sets.