Indian Wells Women’s Draw Talking Points: Swiatek Eyes Historic Defence As Jabeur Returns After Surgery - UBITENNIS
Connect with us

WTA

Indian Wells Women’s Draw Talking Points: Swiatek Eyes Historic Defence As Jabeur Returns After Surgery

Who will be taking home the women’s title this year?

Published

on

Image via Australian Open twitter

Women’s tennis does tend to be known for its unpredictability but will this be the case at Indian Wells?

 

Two months into the season and there has already been a string of fascinating stories ranging from Aryna Sabalenka winning her first Grand Slam title to Iga Swiatek storming to the Doha title by dropping five games in three matches played. 

So what should tennis fans expect in Indian Wells? Here are five topics you should keep a close eye on. 

1) Swiatek eyes title defence

In 2022 Iga Swiatek surged to the title by dropping only three sets in six matches played. Her triumph occurred in the middle of her 37-match winning streak. Since then, the Pole has added to her title tally by winning another seven tournaments, including the French Open for a second time and the US Open. 

This year has been another solid start to the season for Swiatek who has won nine out of 11 matches played in WTA events (excluding the United Cup). Her only defeats were to Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of the Australian Open and to Barbora Krejcikova in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships. She won the Qatar Open last month. 

Should Swiatek prevail in Indian Wells once again she would become the first female player in over 30 years to successfully defend her title. The only person to have ever done so was Martina Navratilova who won the title in 1990 and 1991. 

2) The return of Ons Jabeur 

Ons Jabeur will be returning to action in the Californian desert but what form is she currently in?

The Tunisian hasn’t played since her second round exit at the Australian Open after opting to miss the Middle East swing of the Tour to have minor surgery. She is yet to publicly comment on the procedure and it is still unclear as to why she needed to have it. 

After suffering a second round exit in Indian Wells last year, Jabeur has a golden opportunity to pick up some ranking points as she bids to one day fulfil her dream of becoming world No.1. As it currently stands, she is ranked fourth in the world and is more than 500 points behind Jessica Pegula who is above her. 

Jabeur is in the second section of the draw and will open up her campaign against either Lauren Davis or Maryna Zanevska. She could then play Marie Bouzkova in the third round followed by former champion Victoria Azarenka. 

3) Pegula, Gauff carrying home hopes

Over the past two decades, there have been plenty of American players who have impressed on the WTA Tour. However, the last time a home player won Indian Wells was 22 years ago when Serena Williams claimed the 2001 title. 

World No.3 Pegula is the highest-ranked American in the draw and the last player from her country to win a WTA 1000 event which was the Guadalajara Open back in November. Remarkably it was 11 years ago when she made her main draw debut in Indian Wells after receiving a wild card into the qualifying draw where she won two matches. Since then, her best run at the tournament was to the quarter-finals in 2021. 

French Open finalist Coco Gauff will be making her third appearance in the draw after reaching the last 32 on her two previous attempts. Gauff has already won one title this year which was at the ASB Classic and was also runner-up to Swiatek in Dubai last month. 

There are two other American players seeded in the draw which are Madison Keys (19) and Amanda Anisimova (31). 

4) All eyes are on Sabalenka

This time last year Sabalenka was struggling with her problematic serve and was frustrated with a lack of consistency in her tennis. However, she has turned a new leaf this season. After working with her coach and a data analytics expert on her serve, the Belarusian is one of the most consistent players on the Tour after winning 13 out of her past 14 matches. The only player to beat her was Krejcikova in Dubai. 

The question is can she keep her run in fine form going? Sabalenka is yet to go beyond the fourth round of the tournament and lost her opening match to Jasmine Paolini last year. Although on the flip side, she could gain a hefty amount of points if she goes deep in the draw. 

In Sabalenka’s section, she will take on either Alize Cornet or Evgeniya Rodina in her opening match. Then it is possible that she could face last week’s Monterrey Open champion Donna Vekic followed by a rematch with Krejcikova. 

5) Caroline Garcia’s recent frustrations

The last time Caroline Garcia played a tournament in America she won the biggest title of her career at the WTA Finals last November. Since then, the Frenchwoman has experienced a somewhat frustrating journey on the Tour. 

She has reached the quarter-final stage or better at four out of her past six tournaments, as well as reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. Twice she has come close to claiming silverware. In Lyon, she was defeated in the final by Alicia Parks who many are tipping to be the next big thing in American tennis. More recently, in Monterrey, she narrowly missed out on the trophy after losing to Vekic in three sets. In the decider, Garcia had eight break point chances but didn’t convert any. 

“Terribly tired, physically and mentally, leaving to the airport in 6h but I can’t fall asleep, I am “afraid” to go to sleep. My mind is going crazy,” Garcia wrote on her Instagram story after losing to Vekic.
“Every time I switch off the lights and put my head on the pillow, I can rewatch my match – that serve catching the lines on break point or that easy forehand missed or that bad choice …Tennis can drive you crazy a little bit.” 

Historically Garcia has reached the fourth round in Indian Wells on three separate occasions. However, overall she has won only nine matches out of 17 played in the main draw of the tournament. 

Could this year be her year? 

The full women’s draw can be viewed HERE

ATP

Miami Open Daily Preview: Elena Rybakina Plays Jessica Pegula in the Semifinals

Published

on

Elena Rybakina two weeks ago at Indian Wells (twitter.com/bnpparibasopen)

Due to rain on Wednesday, only one WTA semifinal will be played on Thursday.

 

Elena Rybakina is just two wins away from completing the “Sunshine Double,” which is winning both Indian Wells and Miami.  But in Thursday’s WTA semifinal, American No.1 Jessica Pegula stands in her way.  The other semifinal is still to be determined, and will not be played until Friday, as Petra Kvitova and Ekaterina Alexandrova will contest their rain-delayed quarterfinal on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the ATP quarterfinals will be completed on Thursday.  Indian Wells finalist Daniil Medvedev faces American Chris Eubanks, who has been the breakout story of this tournament thus far.  Also, Karen Khachanov takes on Francisco Cerundolo, who is vying for his second consecutive semifinal in Miami.  And delayed from Wednesday night, Carlos Alcaraz battles Taylor Fritz in another ATP quarterfinal.

You can find a preview of the Alcaraz/Fritz and Kvitova/Alexandrova quarterfinals in yesterday’s daily preview here.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Thursday’s play gets underway at 1:00pm local time.


Chris Eubanks (Q) vs. Daniil Medvedev (4) – 1:00pm on Stadium

Medvedev leads the ATP with 26 wins this season, as well as with three titles.  Daniil has not dropped a set to this stage, though he’s only played two matches thus far due to a walkover earlier this week.

Eubanks has already won six matches this fortnight after coming through qualifying.  And the 26-year-old achieved a career goal of breaking into the top 100 with this quarterfinal run.  Chris became emotional on-court after clinching that feat on Monday, and followed it up with another upset the next day, over Adrian Mannarino.  The American is projected to become ranked 85th in the world on Monday, but a win on Thursday would propel him into the top 60.

In their first career meeting, of course the self-proclaimed “hard court specialist” Medvedev is a strong favorite.  But I’m quite interested to see how Eubanks performs in the biggest match of his career.  During a rain delay on Monday, Frances Tiafoe provided Eubanks with some advice in the locker room, which Chris credited with helping him come back in the second-set tiebreak once play resumed.  He’s played more freely since that comeback, and Eubanks may feel as if he has nothing to lose on Thursday.


Elena Rybakina (10) vs. Jessica Pegula (3) – Not Before 8:30pm on Stadium

Rybakina is 20-4 this season, and is currently on a 10-match win streak.  If her 2,000 points from winning Wimbledon last summer counted, she’d currently be ranked third in the world.  Elena easily dispatched of Martina Trevisan in the last round.

Pegula is 19-5 on the year, and 10-3 in Miami.  This is her second consecutive semifinal at this event, and she’s the No.3 player in the world without Rybakina’s Wimbledon points counting.  She saved multiple match points to come back and defeat Anastasia Potapova during Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

Pegula is 2-0 against Rybakina, with both matches taking place on hard courts during 2022.  A year ago at this same tournament, Jess prevailed in straight sets.  And last fall in Guadalajara, Pegula outlasted Rybakina in a final-set tiebreak, another match in which the American saved multiple match points.  As confident as Elena currently is, with her big serve and groundstrokes dictating play, it’s hard not to favor the reigning Wimbledon champ.  But based on their recent history, as well as Pegula’s rising confidence after saving match points in the last round, I give Jess the slight edge in Thursday’s semifinals on home soil.


Other Notable Matches on Thursday:

Francisco Cerundolo (25) vs. Karen Khachanov (14) – Cerundolo was in danger of falling out of the top 40 with an early loss in Miami, defending the best result of his career at this level, but has impressed by returning to the quarterfinals, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime on the way.  Khachanov upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last round, and is looking to reach his first Masters semifinal since 2019.  Last summer in Canada, Karen defeated Francisco in three sets.


Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.

Continue Reading

ATP

Miami Open Daily Preview: Indian Wells Champs Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz Collide

Published

on

Carlos Alcaraz two Sundays ago at Indian Wells (twitter.com/atptour)

On Wednesday in Miami, 2023 Indian Wells champion Carlos Alcaraz faces 2022 champ Taylor Fritz for the first time.

 

Alcaraz is just three wins away from defending his Miami title, which he needs to do in order to remain World No.1.  Wednesday’s other ATP quarterfinal sees Indian Wells semifinalist Jannik Sinner take on Emil Ruusuvuori, who is the first Finnish quarterfinalist at a Masters 1000 tournament in a decade.

In the WTA singles draw, Aryna Sabalenka and Petra Kvitova are one round away from a big-hitting semifinal.  But first, they must get past Sorana Cirstea and Ekaterina Alexandrova, respectively.

Each day, this preview will analyze the two most intriguing matchups, while highlighting other notable matches on the schedule.  Wednesday’s play gets underway at 1:00pm local time.


Ekaterina Alexandrova (18) vs. Petra Kvitova (15) – Not Before 7:00pm on Stadium

Kvitova is 14-5 this season, and has now reached the quarterfinals of both Indian Wells and Miami this month.  Petra has also now advanced to the fourth round or better of this event for the fifth straight time, and has not dropped a set this fortnight.

Alexandrova had a losing record this year before arriving in Miami.  She defeated Belinda Bencic two rounds ago, and advanced in the last round after Bianca Andreescu’s upsetting ankle injury.  This is Ekaterina’s second WTA 1000 quarterfinal, after first achieving that feat last year in Madrid, when she advanced to the semifinals.

Their only previous encounter occurred three years ago at the Australian Open, when Kvitova comfortably prevailed 6-1, 6-2.  Ekaterina does not possess the same offensive weaponry of Petra, so on a hard court, the two-time Wimbledon champion is a considerable favorite to win again on Wednesday.


Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs. Taylor Fritz (9) – Not Before 8:30pm on Stadium

Alcaraz is 17-1 on the season, despite missing all of January due to injury.  His only loss came to Cam Norrie in the final of Rio, a match in which Carlitos reaggravated his leg injury.  He’s yet to drop a set during this tournament.

Fritz is 20-5 in 2023, and has now reached the quarterfinals or better at his last five events.  This is Taylor’s first quarterfinal in Miami, and his third consecutive quarterfinal as Masters 1000 events in North America.  Like Alcaraz, he’s also yet to lose a set in Miami, but he’s 1-4 in his last five Masters quarterfinals.

This is the first career meeting between the World No.1 and the American No.1.  Fritz certainly has the firepower to threaten Alcaraz on this day.  But based on Carlitos’ recent sharp form, the 19-year-old is the favorite to advance to the semifinals.


Other Notable Matches on Wednesday:

Sorana Cirstea vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2) – Sabalenka is now a stellar 20-2 on the year, and has allowed her opponents this past week an average of just 2.5 games per set.  Cirstea is having an excellent March, having advanced to her second consecutive WTA 1000 quarterfinal, a stage she hadn’t reached since 2017.  This is another first-time career meeting.

Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Jannik Sinner (10) – Sinner is vying for his second consecutive Masters semifinal, and has not dropped a set thus far in Miami.  This is Ruuuvuori’s maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal, at the only Masters event where he had ever previously advanced beyond the third round.  Jannik is 4-0 against Emil, with all of those wins in straight sets, except a match in Miami a year ago that went to a third-set tiebreak, and saw Sinner save three match points.


Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.

Continue Reading

Latest news

Elena Rybakina Donates Money To The Next Generation Of Kazakh Tennis Players

Published

on

Photo by Ubitennis

Elena Rybakina says her decision to provide financial support to a group of young players is a way for her to say thank you for the support she has received from the Kazakh Tennis Federation. 

 

The reigning Wimbledon champion has donated 2.5 million Kazakhstani Tenge (£4500) to 14 players on the junior Tour to help fund their development for the future. She helped pick who would receive the donations after holding talks with the KTF about the country’s rising stars. Rybakina had previously pledged to provide support to young people in Kazakhstan after winning her maiden Grand Slam title last year but she hasn’t been able to finalize her donations until recently due to her commitments on the Tour. 

“We actually talked with the Federation earlier. It just happen now recently because I was travelling a lot and it’s not easy,” Rybakina told reporters following her quarter-final win over Martina Trevisan at the Miami Open. 
“We talked with the Federation as I don’t know the girls that well as I’m travelling all the time.”

The 22-year-old was born in Russia but became a neutralized Kazakh citizen back in 2018. Her decision to do so was aided by the financial support she has received from the Kazakh tennis federation to help her development in the sport. Last year she was asked if she felt Russian or Kazakh and responded by saying ‘tough question.’ 

“It was just a big help for me when I started working professionally, from the Federation, so I was thinking that there is going to be a good way to thank back,” she said of her donation. 
“Also, I think it’s important for young girls to have some kind of support since it’s not easy for everyone. Hopefully, they are gonna be around (on the Tour) soon.”

Rybakina is just two victories away from winning the sunshine double. A term used to describe a player winning events in both Indian Wells and Miami within the same year. She is currently on a 10-match winning streak and has only lost three sets during that period. 

Awaiting the world No.10 in the semi-finals of Miami will be home favourite Jessica Pegula who won her maiden WTA 1000 title last year in Mexico. Pegula saved two match points to defeat Anastasia Potapova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(2), in her latest match. In their head-to-head, Rybakina is yet to defeat the American after losing to her twice in 2022. 

“For sure it’s gonna be a tough one. She’s a really good player and very consistent. I will try just to do my best to try to be fresh for that match.” She commented.

At the Miami Open Rybakina has already served 10 or more aces in four different matches. The last female player to do that at the same tournament was Serena Williams at the 2020 US Open. 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending