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Match details
Fixture: (15) Angelique Kerber vs Qinwen Zheng.
Date: 11 March 2022.
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Indian Wells, USA.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,369,455.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Angelique Kerber vs Qinwen Zheng preview
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber will square off against China's Qinwen Zheng in the second round of the 2022 Indian Wells Open on Friday.
Kerber hasn't had the best start to the year so far. She tested positive for COVID-19 towards the end of 2021 which hampered her preparations for the new season. The German directly competed in the Australian Open without participating in any warm-up tournaments.
Kerber was up against a difficult opponent as well, in the shape of Kaia Kanepi in the first round. The former World No. 1 lost in straight sets to the Estonian.
At her next tournament in Qatar, Kerber led by a set and a break in the opening round against Jil Teichmann. However, the Swiss staged a comeback to oust the German in three sets.
Kerber will now aim to turn her season around in Indian Wells by winning her first match of the season.
Qinwen Zheng is quickly making a name for herself on the WTA tour. At the start of the season, she made it to the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set, losing to eventual winner Simona Halep. In her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, she progressed to the second round where she fell to Maria Sakkari.
In Guadalajara, the Chinese teenager lost in the opening round. She reached the second round in Monterrey, but lost in three sets to eventual champion Leylah Fernandez. Her results have propelled her to a career-high ranking of 74.
At the 2022 Indian Wells Open, she began her campaign with a straight-sets win over Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva.
Angelique Kerber vs Qinwen Zheng head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head is deadlocked at 0-0.
Angelique Kerber vs Qinwen Zheng prediction
Qinwen Zheng has had much better results than Kerber this year and heads into this contest with a slight advantage. The German has played just two matches and lost both of them. If she's slow off the blocks, she could suffer yet another early exit.
Kerber is a former finalist at the tournament and knows what it takes to make a deep run here. Even at the age of 34, her court coverage remains as impressive as ever. She's able to keep the points going, ultimately drawing errors from her opponent's racket or finishing with a winner of her own. Kerber's forehand is her most dangerous weapon.
Her opponent is known for her powerful groundstrokes, though at times she tends to overhit. Against Kerber, she'll need to keep the points short.
The former World No. 1 also struggles on serve at times, so the Chinese will need to capitalize on that.
However, the Chinese is yet to score a win over an established player. Even though Kerber is struggling at the moment, she is a proven champion and can turn things around on a dime. At an event where she's done well in the past, the German might just step up her game once again.
Prediction: Angelique Kerber to win in three sets.
