California [US], March 7 (ANI): Main-draw play on the WTA 1000 occasion in Indian Wells begins on Wednesday with World No1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek main the sphere. Swiatek’s run to the title final yr was a part of her 37-match profitable streak, the longest of the 2000s.
Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 champion and the No32 seed, is likely to be Swiatek’s third-round opponent. She is among the 4 previous Indian Wells champions within the discipline.
fifth seed, the second Top 10 seed within the opening spherical is Caroline Garcia. Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, Liudmila Samsonova, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Madison Keys, Magda Linette, Leylah Fernandez, and Danielle Collins are all included on this quarter.
Ons Jabeur, the fourth-seed, will begin the second interval. Jabeur, who withdrew from the whole Middle East swing attributable to an damage, will face both Maryna Zanevska or Lauren Davis within the second spherical in her first match for the reason that Australian Open.
The Round of 16 matchup between No. 8 seed Daria Kasatkina and No. 10 seed Elena Rybakina is feasible. In 2018, Kasatkina completed second to Naomi Osaka at Indian Wells.
Rybakina, the defending Wimbledon champion, will undoubtedly play Sloane Stephens or Sofia Kenin within the second spherical of the match.
In an all-American first-round encounter, Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, and Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, will compete. Stephens prevailed 7-5 within the third set on their lone earlier encounter in Toronto final yr.
The two different former Indian Wells champions within the discipline, Victoria Azarenka and Paula Badosa, are on this quarter. No.14 Azarenka, the titlist in 2012 and 2016, may probably meet Jabeur within the Round of 16.
No.21 Badosa, who defeated Azarenka within the 2021 Indian Wells ultimate, is a doable third-round opponent for both Rybakina, Stephens or Kenin.
third seed American Jessica Pegula, who’s presently ranked first, is within the lead. In the second spherical, Pegula may compete in opposition to Camila Giorgi, who gained the Merida title two weeks prior. This could be a replay of the Washington, D.C. ultimate of 2019, which Pegula gained.The No. 7 seed on this quarter’s Top 10 is Maria Sakkari, who completed second to Swiatek at Indian Wells the earlier yr. In the second spherical, Sakkari will compete in opposition to the victor of an all-American combat between Shelby Rogers and Katie Volynets.
Veronika Kudermetova, No. 11, Petra Kvitova, No. 15, the previous World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, rising American Alycia Parks, and rising teen Linda Fruhvirtova are additionally on this quarter.
Aryna Sabalenka, who gained the Australian Open this yr, is the No. 2 seed and is positioned on the backside of the draw. In the second spherical, she is going to take in opposition to both Alize Cornet or Evgeniya Rodina.
Before to her first lack of the yr to the eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in Dubai, Sabalenka had a 13-match profitable streak to begin the yr. If each Sabalenka and No. 16 Krejcikova keep their seeds, a rematch may happen within the Round of 16.
Sabalenka may first play No. 29 Donna Vekic within the third spherical. Vekic not too long ago gained her fourth profession title in Monterrey, and he or she presently has a 5-2 benefit over Sabalenka of their head-to-head matchup.
No. 6 Coco Gauff and No. 9 Belinda Bencic, who’re each within the backside quarter, may face off within the Round of 16. While Bencic has already gained two championships this yr, in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi, Gauff picked up her third profession victory in Auckland in January.
Looming in Bencic’s portion of the draw is Marta Kostyuk, who has risen to a career-high World No.40 after profitable her first title in Austin on Sunday.
The BNP Paribas Open kicks off two straight WTA 1000 occasions within the United States. The Miami Open will comply with with a main-draw begin date of Tuesday, March 21. (ANI)