WTA Indian Wells on Tennis Channel Plus: P. Kvitova vs. A. Anisimova

Watch WTA action from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells all this week on Tennis Channel Plus. To subscribe, go to BuyTCPlus.com

Petra Kvitova and Amanda Anisimova each have two career-altering wins—the Czech in Wimbledon finals, the American on the WTA tour. Anisimova, just 16 years old, has earned both of those wins this week in Indian Wells, giving those who followed her stellar junior career a sooner-than-expected look at what she can be capable of in the pros. The runner-up at the 2016 junior French Open and champion at the 2017 junior US Open, Anisimova followed up a drama-free, 6-2, 6-2 first-round win over Pauline Parmentier with an impressive, 6-4, 6-1 upset of No. 23 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian is prone to early losses, but she's also capable of hitting anyone off the court. For Anisimova to handle such competition in straight sets is impressive, even at this incredibly early stage of her career.

If 2018 is an unveiling of Anisimova's game, it's also a reminder of what Kvitova can do when she's at the top of hers. With last season curtailed by her recovery from a knife attack, Kvitova has returned to form with a full and uninterrupted year in sight. She's won 14 consecutive matches, which includes two titles (in St. Petersburg and Doha) and two Fed Cup victories. Her last loss came at the Australian Open, and Andrea Petkovic needed an 18-game third set to do it.

"I couldn't really dream about it one year ago when I was in total different position trying to come back and play," Kvitova said in Doha, after winning the tournament and clinching a return to the Top 10. "For me, it's something that's amazing, let's say. I couldn't really wish for more."

Kvitova must be considered one of the top three of four contenders at Indian Wells; a title run in the desert would be the best hard-court performance of her career. It would be doubly significant considering the terror she faced just over a year ago. Kvitova looks focused and dangerous on court. What she'll need to worry about are two things: facing a player who has absolutely nothing to lose, and the crowd, which will be behind the upstart underdog, in spite of Kvitova's sizable and worldwide appeal.

No matter how it turns out—to be clear, Kvitova is expected to advance—it will be worth watching how both players react to the big stage, and each other.

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