Indian Wells 2022: Iga Swiatek vs Simona Halep preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Match details

Fixture: (3) Iga Swiatek vs (24) Simona Halep.

Date: 18 March 2022.

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.

Round: Semifinals.

Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA.

Category: WTA 1000.

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.

Prize money: $8,369,455.

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

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Iga Swiatek vs Simona Halep preview

Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep will cross swords in a blockbuster semi-final match at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday.

Swiatek, the 2020 French Open winner, has made a dream start to the year. With 18 victories under her belt, the Pole is the tour leader in match wins this season.

The World No. 4 began the year in fine fashion, reaching the semifinals of both Adelaide International 1 and the Australian Open. She suffered an early defeat in Dubai immediately, but that has been the only blip in an otherwise terrific season so far for the 20-year-old.

Swiatek bounced back the week after with her maiden WTA 1000 title on hardcourt in Doha.

She has now extended her winning streak to nine matches by storming into the last four at Indian Wells. Swiatek had to work hard in her first three matches in the desert, needing three sets to defeat each of Anhelina Kalinina, Clara Tauson and Angelique Kerber.

But against 25th seed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals, the Pole hardly ever took her foot off the pedal. She dropped just one game on her way to a 6-1, 6-0 win against the home hope in just 56 minutes.

Simona Halep in action at the BNP Paribas Open

Swiatek's next opponent, Simona Halep, too, has had an impressive season so far, making their upcoming clash an intriguing one.

Halep began the year by winning the title at the Melbourne Summer Set. After seeing her Australian Open sojourn end in the pre-quarterfinals, the Romanian went on to reach the semifinals in Dubai.

However, a shocking first-round defeat to Caroline Garcia in Doha brought her crashing back to earth.

The two-time Grand Slam winner has been able to put that setback behind her at Indian Wells this past fortnight. The former World No. 1 has conceded just one set on her way to the semifinals and dismantled Petra Martic 6-1, 6-1 in her most recent match.

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Iga Swiatek vs Simona Halep head-to-head

Halep leads the head-to-head against Swiatek 2-1. The Romanian won their first-ever encounter at the 2019 Roland Garros but the Pole turned the tables on her a year later in the same tournament.

Halep then edged Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the fourth round of the Australian Open last year.

Their upcoming clash at Indian Wells will be their first outside a Major.

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Iga Swiatek vs Simona Halep prediction

A pumped up Iga Swiatek at the BNP Paribas Open

Iga Swiatek is currently in the form of her life. Her decision to team up with Agnieszka Radwanska's former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski at the start of the year has paid rich dividends.

The 20-year-old's improved fitness has been evident as she has battled through numerous three-setters this season. Swiatek admittedly has more belief in herself in pressure situations.

Another aspect of her game that Wiktorowski has helped her work on is her aggression. Swiatek has looked to shorten the rallies at every opportunity in Indian Wells, which wasn't the case with her in previous tournaments.

The only area of concern for the Pole is her serve. Even in the 6-1, 6-0 hammering of Madison Keys, she landed just 56% of her first serves. Swiatek's feeble second serve runs the risk of being punished by Simona Halep, who is one of the best returners in the game right now.

Halep is a master at converting defense into offense and will look to tire out the Pole. But if Swiatek can produce her flawless attacking game under pressure, she has a good chance of advancing to her first final in the desert.

Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.