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Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Venus Williams vs (Q) Nao Hibino
Date: March 6, 2024
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN/TVA
Venus Williams vs Nao Hibino preview
Former World No. 1 Venus Williams will square off against qualifier Nao Hibino in the first round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.
This will be Williams' first tournament of the season as she wasn't ready to compete yet due to recurring injuries. She struggled with health issues last year as well and competed in just seven tournaments.
Williams won her first round match at the 2023 ASB Classic but picked up an injury during her second round loss to Zhu Lin. She was out of action for five months and returned directly for the grass season.
Williams bowed out in the first round of the Libema Open but edged past Camila Giorgi in three sets at the Birmingham Classic. She put up a fight against Jelena Ostapenko but suffered a three-set loss in the end. Elina Svitolina then knocked her out in the first round of Wimbledon.
Williams participated in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati after that. She scored her first win over a top 20 player since 2019 as she bested Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 7-5 in the first round.
Zheng Qinwen eliminated her in the next round. The American wrapped up her season after a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Greet Minnen in the first round of the US Open.
Hibino's Indian Wells campaign commenced in the qualifying rounds itself. She overcome a tough fight to oust Julia Riera in the first round with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win. She then rallied from a set down to defeat former top 30 player Hsieh Su-wei 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 and qualify for the main draw.
Venus Williams vs Nao Hibino head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Venus Williams vs Nao Hibino odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Venus Williams vs Nao Hibino prediction
Hibino is considerably more match fit than Williams, so naturally, she'll be favored to win this match. The American has the better resume given her accomplishments but the last few years have been quite tough for her. She has won just seven matches since the start of 2020.
Williams can play well in patches from time to time. She can also serve quite well and contend in rallies too, at least in the beginning. She's had a lot of three-set losses over the last few years. She gives her younger opponents a tough fight but they outlast her due to their physical prowess.
With Williams contesting her first match in over six months, it could take her some time to settle down into a rhythm. Hibino, on the other hand, has already played a couple of matches here. A win for the American would be a welcome surprise but most likely it's her opponent who's going to advance further.
Pick: Nao Hibino to win in three sets.
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