Three to See—Indian Wells, Oct. 11: Andreescu vs. Kontaveit; Gauff vs. Badosa; Krejcikova vs. Anisimova

There’s a reason to like each of these women’s chances. Andreescu is the defending champion, and an elite-level player who has won a major and been ranked as high as No. 4. Kontaveit, on the other hand, has made just one quarterfinal at a Slam, and her highest ranking so far has been No. 14. But Kontaveit is coming off what may have been the most impressive run of her career, an Ostrava title march that included wins over Paula Badosa, Petra Kvitova, Belinda Bencic, and Maria Sakkari, all in straight sets. Just as important, Kontaveit is 2-0 against Andreescu. Winner: Kontaveit

Coco Gauff vs. Paula Badosa

The 17-year-old American and the 23-year-old Spaniard have been on largely parallel tracks this season. Each carved out good results in the spring, rose in the rankings, and have hit something of a plateau since, with Gauff ranked 19th and Badosa 27th. Badosa’s game hews close to the modern standard: She wins with an aggressive topspin forehand and two-handed backhand, and like so many of her countrymen and women, she’s a never-give-an-inch competitor. Gauff wins mostly with speed and defense, but has begun to learn to construct points and finish them with her sometimes-erratic forehand. It should be a gritty one. Winner: Gauff

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Andreescu made a victorious—if dramatic—return to Indian Wells action in three sets over Alison Riske.

Barbora Krejcikova vs. Amanda Anisimova

Looking at their rankings and their 2021 results, this might not seem like much of a contest. Krejcikova is No. 5, won her first major at Roland Garros, and hasn’t suffered much of a letdown since. Anisimova, a semifinalist in Paris in 2019, is ranked 81st, and has lost a lot of early-round matches this year. But the American has also begun to show signs of her old, explosive self; she lost a brilliant shootout to Karolina Pliskova at the US Open, and overpowered another hard-hitter in Camila Giorgi in her last match in Indian Wells. If Anisimova keeps her timing and self-belief intact, her power-first game could make an interesting contrast with Krejcikova’s variety and craft. Winner: Krejcikova