Indian Wells Preview (Women's Edition)

Hey, Y'all.

The ladies draw is out so I'll do a quick run down...


SECTION 1: #1 SERENA
...The 2007 Australian Open. The 2012-14 U.S. Open. Serena had a point to prove. Serena won those tournaments. I can't remember the last time she went into a tournament and wasn't the favorite. Perhaps on slow clay there may be a question mark. That's it. I think Serena will be nervous , but she'll also be angry. She will play Niculescu or Krunic in her first match. I think she looks nervy and struggles a bit but wins 7-5,6-2 or something close to that score. Then she just rolls and never looks back. Vekic and Diyas could play each other, which would be interesting. Stephens is also here, as is 13th seed Kerber. But I pick Sveta, seeded #23, to avenge her recent loss to the German. Kerber has not been in form whilst Sveta is a former winner.
4th Rd.: #1 SERENA D. #23 KUZNETSOVA
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SECTION 2: #8 MAKAROVA
...Naming the sections after their biggest seed is just easiest and I'm surprised Makarova has her own. She is no longer the perennial dark horse. She should beat Vesnina or the qualifier who the Russian plays. Bacsinszky, seeded #27, lies here and is on form, but Makarova will be fine. Safarova will get past the young guns of Svitolina, Mladenovic and Nara before falling to the more solid Makarova in the fourth round. That will be a match to watch.
4th Rd.: #8 MAKAROVA d. #10 SAFAROVA
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SECTION 3: #3 HALEP
...Halep will beat Lepchenko in the third round and advance to the fourth to meet a rising star. A lot of rising stars in attendance.
Tomljanovic can only represent Australia in ITF events. Pliskova and Muguruza play here -- it's the match the WTA has been waiting for. I think Pliskova edges it [literally a toss-up] but it will be an incredible watch. The winners goes down tamely to Halep.
4th Rd.: #3 HALEP D. #14 KA.PLISKOVA
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SECTION 4: #7 RADWANSKA
...Radwanska has been quiet of late. That makes us here at Backspin very nervous. Lucic-Baroni is here. Goerges and Watson play one another. Gibbs and Pavlyuchenkova are in this section, too. Puig is also hanging around. Giorgi beats Radwanska, who is in a big slump and so puts on her glass slippers. Suarez Navarro outlasts the catty BZS in three long sets. Giorgi improbably beats Navarro and Todd has his story for the first week. Unless ,you know, Sharapova double bagels Azarenka or Serena implodes.
4th Rd.: #29 GIORGI D. #12 SUAREZ NAVARRO
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SECTION 5: #6 BOUCHARD
...Look who has her own section. She and Raonic really are an incredible pair. If only there was a big mixed doubles event that only happens rarely coming up in the next year or two. They'd do well, in that. [#Rio2016] Eugenie has Cepelova and Pironkova around here, not to mention thirtieth seed Vandeweghe. Bouchard advances. Petkovic has Cetkovska, Cornet, McHale and Beck around her. Talented women, but the German ninth seed comes through no problems. Lacking in form, the Canadian will lose to the German. Sadly for Eugenie, in the real world this doesn't work:

4th Rd.: #9 PETKOVIC D. #6 BOUCHARD
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SECTION 6: #4 WOZNIACKI
...Wozniacki is again rising without winning a slam. Up to number five now, I struggle to think of what the Dane has actually done in the past few months aside from the odd final and losing to Serena in NY. To be honest, that NY final was six months ago now. The Dane hasn't done a lot. She should beat Kanepi or the qualifier, but 31st seed Bencic poses a bit more of a problem. I still like the Dane to advance. Schmiedlova and Davis play in the young match, whilst Koukalova takes on Hantuchova in the veterans. Hantuchova has won this before. At #16, Keys is two spots higher than Jankovic but both are on different trajectories now. If Jankovic makes it there Keys will dismiss her.
4th Rd.: #16 KEYS D. #4 WOZNIACKI [Oh, why not]
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SECTION 7: #5 IVANOVIC
...Do I trust Ivanovic? With my keys, yes. To be solid and not lose to someone she shouldn't? No. She will beat the winner of Zvonareva and Garcia and then the rest of this section is, first, Italian and, secondly, a mess. Apart from Gajdosova -- she isn't Italian -- Vince, Schiavone and Errani are here, but Gajdosova beats them all. The Aussie is on form and could make the quarterfinals if she finds her groove. Jarmila is back in the top 50. Oh yes, Lisicki is here, too. I forgot about her. It isn't grass.
4th Rd.: #5 IVANOVIC D. GAJDOSOVA
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SECTION 8: #2 SHARAPOVA
...What a nasty draw. Knapp or Wickamyer then Azarenka followed by Pennetta before having to face Ivanovic. That stinks. Rogers and Flipkens play for the right to face Vika. Vika wins but loses to Sharapova. I know I'm wrong, but the percentage play is to pick Maria. I am not throwing the ball on the one yard line here. Brengle or Zheng [not that Zheng -- Saisai] will get through and play Pennetta. Flavia is 4-4. It's March. She loses to one of those two or to Stosur despite the match up problem the Aussie has. Stosur just kicks and spins her way into the fourth round. Mattek against Townsend is interesting, especially as the winner plays Sam. Poor Sam never beats Vika or Maria.
4th Rd.: #2 SHARAPOVA D. #21 STOSUR
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*ROUND OF 16*
Serena d. Kuznetsova
Makarova d. Safarova
Halep d. Pliskova
Giorgi d. Suarez Navarro
Petkovic d. Bouchard
Keys d. Wozniacki
Ivanovic d. Gajdosova
Sharapova d. Stosur
*QUARTERFINALS*
Serena d. Makarova
Halep d. Giorgi
Petkovic d. Keys
Sharapova d. Ivanovic
*SEMIFINALS*
Serena d. Halep
Sharapova d. Petkovic
*FINAL*
Serena d. Sharapova

...This for me is the big one. Not the match, that won't be a contest. Serena will win easily, but it will be the one she has wanted for so long. She puts her demons to bed here.

Thanks all. See you soon!

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