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Match details
Fixture: (5) Paula Badosa vs (21) Veronika Kudermetova.
Date: 17 March 2022.
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Indian Wells, USA.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,369,455.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova preview
Defending champion Paula Badosa will square off against World No. 24 Veronika Kudermetova in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Indian Wells Open on Thursday.
After winning the title in Sydney and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, Badosa went through a rough patch. The Spaniard made early exits during the Middle East swing, but has found her groove in the California desert once again.
After a first-round bye, Badosa kicked off her title defense against Tereza Martincova, winning in straight sets. In the third round, she faced off against compatriot Sara Sorribes Tormo, once again winning in two sets.
Badosa then took on 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the last 16. She defeated the Canadian 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals for the second straight year.
With runner-up finishes at the Melbourne Summer Set and the Dubai Tennis Championships, Veronika Kudermetova has put in some good performances this year. She has done well in doubles too, winning the title in Dubai and reaching the final in Qatar.
Kudermetova kicked off her campaign at Indian Wells against Naomi Osaka in the second round. The match was disrupted for a while as a rude comment from a heckler brought Osaka to tears. But Kudermetova kept her composure and played a fantastic match to win 6-0, 6-4.
Her third-round match against Marie Bouzkova was just as straightforward. The Russian took the first set, before the Czech was forced to retire a few games into the second.
In the fourth round against Marketa Vondrousova, the World No. 21 failed to serve out the match in the second set but got the job done in the end, winning 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head
Kudermetova leads Badosa 3-0 in the head-to-head. She won their most recent encounter at last year's Charleston Open in straight sets.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction
Both players are playing at a high level at the moment, so it's a hard match to call. Kudermetova will be feeling confident given her winning record against Badosa, but the Spaniard has blossomed into a completely different player since their last meeting.
Badosa hasn't dropped a set this tournament and has gotten better with every outing. Kudermetova started off strong, but her nerves got the better of her in the previous round, nearly costing her the match. A similar slip-up against the defending champion could lead to her demise.
Kudermetova is a highly aggressive player and isn't afraid to go for her shots, while her doubles experience helps her at the net.
Badosa's serve is one of her strong suits, but so far it hasn't been up to the mark. The Spaniard also has a well-rounded game and she has been playing more offensively of late. The slow conditions at Indian Wells play to her strengths and the defending champion will be confident of securing her first win over Kudermetova.
Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in three sets.
