By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday March 4, 2024
Iga Swiatek could make amends for her Australian Open failings at Indian Wells. Same for Ons Jabeur.
Photo Source: Getty
If Iga Swiatek wanted a do-over after the Australian Open, she got her wish when the Indian Wells draw was released on Monday afternoon.
The World No.1 could face Danielle Collins in second round (after a bye) and Linda Noskova in the third round (if the seeds hold) in a draw that is nearly a mirror image of what she face at the 2024 Australian Open.
SEE THE FULL BNP PARIBAS OPEN WOMEN'S SINGLES DRAW HERE
In January in Melbourne Swiatek defeated Sofia Kenin in the first round, then took out Collins, 6-4 in the third, before getting thumped by Noskova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Swiatek’s loss in Melbourne was the earliest loss by a No.1 seed since 1979, and it marked the first time a teenager defeated a No.1-ranked player at the Australian Open since 1999.
Swiatek, the 2022 BNP Paribas Open champion, will look to put that difficult tournament in the rearview this week at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in a draw that is loaded with former Grand Slam champions (14), moms (6) and former BNP Paribas Open champions (6).
The quarterfinals, if the seeds hold, are projected as follows:
[1] Swiatek v Jabeur [6]
[4] Rybakina v Vondrousova [7]
[8] Zheng v Gauff [3]
[5] Pegula v Sabalenka [2]
In addition to the top eight seeds, many intriguing names populated the unseeded ranks, such as 43-year-old Venus Williams, former champions Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Emma Raducanu.
Williams (Nao Hibino), Osaka (Sara Errani) and Raducanu (Rebeka Masarova) have been drawn to face qualifiers in the first round. Wozniacki faces China’s Zhu Lin, while Kerber takes on Croatia’s Petra Martic.
Williams is making her first trip to the desert since 2019.
16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, making her main draw debut at Indian Wells, will face American wild card Katie Volynets.
If she wins she’d face Ons Jabeur next, in a rematch of the Australian Open second round thumping that she gave the Tunisian (6-0, 6-2).
Main draw play gets underway on Wednesday, with the final rounds of qualifying played on Tuesday.