12th seed Daria Kasatkina will be hoping for a boost as she returns to the scene of one of her most impactful weeks on tour (she finished runner-up here back in 2018).
2025 WTA Tour
WTA 1000
Indian Wells Open
Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 64 Matches- 8th March
Daria Kasatkina (12) vs Sofia Kenin
12th seed Daria Kasatkina will be hoping for a boost as she returns to the scene of one of her most impactful weeks on tour (she finished runner-up here back in 2018). The Russian was a beacon of consistency last year, reaching six finals (on all three surfaces). She won titles in Eastbourne and Ningbo but generally failed to translate her good form into meaningful results in the elite events (Grand Slams and WTA 1000’s). She has flirted with some strong showings this year, reaching the quarters in Adelaide before a highly creditable 4th round run at the Aussie Open. But she looked leggy in the Middle East Swing, going 2-3 over those three events. She looked particularly poor in Dubai, blasted off the court by Sorana Cirstea in their first-round clash. She probably didn’t love the news that organizers were aiming to speed things up with a new surface this year. Kasatkina is a crafty player who thrives in slower conditions, creating heavy topspin on her forehand wing while employing plenty of slice. However, early indications suggest that most players aren’t detecting a real change in pace.
It’s nice to see Sofia Kenin looking confident once again. She has really struggled with injury and loss of form in recent seasons. The 2020 Aussie Open champ Sofia Kenin kicked off her Indian Wells campaign in fine style, ruthlessly dismantling Aussie Maddison Inglis 6-2, 6-1. She looked back to her best in blustery conditions, winning 83% of her first-serve points and utterly dominating off that forehand wing (she even threw in a few trademark drop-shots for good measure). The American reached the quarterfinal stage or better in four of her previous eight tournaments leading into this week (including a runner-up finish in last year’s Pan Pacific Open). She looked reinvigorated during the latest Middle East Swing, going 5-2 in Qatar and Dubai (where she picked up victories against the likes of Paolini and Kostyuk). Kenin has a poor record in this event but will be buoyed by her emphatic showing against Inglis. A former French Open finalist, Kenin has the game to handle gritty, blustery conditions.
The Verdict: Kenin to win in straight sets at- Kenin leads a tight head-to-head 3-2, winning their most recent meeting in straight sets at last year’s Pan Pacific Open. I was really impressed with the way Kenin conducted herself in her first-round match. She served well and hit the ball crisply off both wings. Kasatkina has been in so-so form this year and I think Kenin’s aggression could see her through in straight sets.
