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Players will be eyeing to book their spots in the fourth round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Sunday.
The women's draw has been rocked with plenty of upsets. Top 10 players Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, Jelena Ostapenko, and Zheng Qinwen were all eliminated in the second round.
Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari rallied from a set down to advance to the third round. World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka saved four match points to down Peyton Stearns 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-6 (6) in an electrifying second round showdown.
Now, the third round is planned to begin on Sunday. On that note, here are the predictions for some of the key women's singles matches lined up for the day at Indian Wells:
#1 - Madison Keys vs Yulia Putintseva
Keys triumphed in her very first match of the season as she scored a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4) win over Hailey Baptiste in the second round at Indian Wells. Putintseva defeated Tamara Korpatsch 6-2, 6-3 in the first round here and then knocked out 15th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the next round with a 7-5, 6-1 win.
Keys leads Putintseva 2-1 in the head-to-head. The latter won their very first encounter but the former has triumped in their last couple of meetings. The American needed some time to work out the rust in her game considering it was her first match in over five months.
With Putintseva playing quite well this week, Keys will have to put her best foot forward right off the bat or be at risk of losing early.
Predicted winner: Madison Keys
#2 - Jasmine Paolini vs Anna Kalinskaya
Paolini staged a comeback to defeat Kalinskaya 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the final of last month's Dubai Tennis Championships to win her first WTA 1000 title. The Italian ousted Tatjana Maria in the second round of the Indian Wells Open to extend her unbeaten run to seven matches.
Kalinskaya survived a spirited challenge from Taylor Townsend in the previous round as she sneaked past her 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. The Russian had the upper hand time and time again when she faced Paolini in the Dubai final. However, the moment got to her and her level dipped during the important points.
With there being no added pressure in this round, Kalinskaya should be able to play with more freedom. However, Paolini is on a roll at the moment and given her winning streak, she'll be favored to make it through this clash.
Predicted winner: Jasmine Paolini
#3 - Anastasia Potapova vs Nadia Podoroska
Potapova reached the third round at Indian Wells with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Marie Bouzkova. Podoroska failed to make it past the qualifying rounds but found a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser. She staged a comeback to down Ashlyn Krueger 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.
Podoroska was then slated to face defending champion Elena Rybakina in the second round but the latter withdrew due to illness. Kayla Day took her place in the draw and the Argentine bested her 7-6 (3), 6-4.
This has been a good week for Podoroska who claimed her first main draw wins since the Australian Open a couple of months ago. Luck has definitely played a part but she has been on a roll too. However, Potapova is likely to end her run here as she's in much better form.
Predicted winner: Anastasia Potapova
#4 - Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Haddad Maia snapped her four-match losing steak with a 7-5, 6-2 win over qualifier Rebecca Sramkova in the second round at Indian Wells. Pavlyuchenkova, on the other hand, got the better of Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round.
Pavlyuchenkova has won both of her previous matches against Haddad Maia. Their first encounter took place at last year's Hong Kong Open, with the Russian moving past in three sets. Their most recent meeting was a straight-sets affair at this year's Adelaide International.
Pavlyuchenkova has been more consistent than Haddad Maia this year. She has also shown the ability to outlast the Brazilian in lengthy grindfests and taking the match away from her with some aggressive tennis. Expect the Russian to continue her dominance in this rivalry.
Predicted winner: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
