Three to See, Indian Wells Day 2: Osaka vs. Stephens; Coric vs. Davidovich Fokina; Anisimova vs. Navarro

Sloane Stephens has been involved with her fair share of blockbuster opening rounds the past 10 months. Will the American find her way past former BNP Paribas Open champion Naomi Osaka Thursday?

BySteve Tignor

Published Mar 10, 2022

MATCH POINT: A. Anisimova def. M. Sakkari; Tiebreak Tens

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IW TIE BREAK TENS: Anisimova Wins

Naomi Osaka vs. Sloane Stephens

This match, between two US Open champions, is the highlight of the first round at Indian Wells. It will go off third in the main stadium on Thursday, and it’s hard to say who should be favored. Osaka, as a four-time Slam champion and former No. 1, has the stronger pedigree, but Stephens has the 2-0 record in their head-to-head, and is coming off a title run in Guadalajara. Stephens would seem to have the right game for Osaka; she can absorb her pace, and match it when she needs to. Each can look unbeatable on the right day, and highly beatable on the wrong one. I’m going to say Osaka, who kicked off her run to the top of the sport with her Indian Wells title in 2018, will want this one just a little more. Winner: Osaka

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Stephens and Osaka haven't faced off since the 2018 WTA Finals.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Borna Coric

The Spaniard and the Croat have never played. Which isn’t all that surprising, because Coric, who had shoulder surgery last spring and is just returning to the tour, has hardly played anyone in the last 10 months. He’ll surely be rusty and need time to return to his previous Top 15 form, so this may be a brief welcome back for him. At the same time, Davidovich Fokina isn’t the worst person Coric could have faced. After showing positive signs in 2021, Davidovich Fokina is off to a disappointing 3-6 start in 2022 is ranked just 45th. But the 22-year-old’s potential is still there, as is his lethal forehand. That should be enough on Thursday. We’ll hope to see more of Coric in the near future. Winner: Davidovich Fokina

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Amanda Anisimova vs. Emma Navarro

It’s a measure of how early Anisimova got her start that she’s a few months younger than her countrywoman Navarro, an NCAA champion who received a wild card into this tournament and is still in the process of breaking onto the tour. These two 20-year-olds will face off in the night session in the main stadium, which may be a bit daunting for Navarro, who is ranked 200th and has spent most of her career in ITF events. Anisimova, with new coach Darren Cahill, got off to a hot start in Australia, but was just 1-2 in Doha and Dubai. A California hard court should be a welcome sight, and the pace of her shots should be an eye-opener for Navarro. Winner: Anisimova

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