The first round of Indian Wells is behind us, setting the stage for an eventful weekend. All top 32 seeds begin their campaigns in the second round, facing off against those who battled through the opening round. As usual, the first round delivered some upsets, disrupting the anticipated matchups forecasted after the draw’s reveal. However, several exciting second-round clashes promise high-quality tennis this weekend.
Osaka and Raducanu Exit Early
The biggest upset of the first round came when Camila Osorio eliminated Naomi Osaka in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Osaka was one of the players to watch based on pre-tournament analysis, given her promising form in Australia before injury concerns arose. She was expected to make an impact in California if she maintained her upward trajectory, but "if" was the key word. Osaka committed more than 50 unforced errors in the match against Osorio, later describing it as the worst performance of her career in a post on platform X. Credit to the Colombian, who was relentless across two competitive sets, saving five of six break points and losing just one service game despite hitting six double faults and no aces. This upset carried a pre-match odd of 4.05, the highest of any first-round victory.
Osorio’s win denied fans the highly anticipated matchup between Osaka and Clara Tauson, as she now faces the Dane in the second round. Another much-anticipated clash that will not happen is Coco Gauff vs. Emma Raducanu. The Brit was eliminated by Moyuka Uchijima, who played with great consistency to secure a straight-sets victory. Raducanu admitted in her post-match press conference that she was simply not well-prepared to match the fully committed Japanese player, who now earns a showdown against world number three Gauff as her reward.
Must-Watch matches in the Second Round
Two highly anticipated second-round matches are set to take place, as Belinda Bencic faces Amanda Anisimova, and Mccartney Kessler squares off against Aryna Sabalenka.
Bencic, fresh off her success in the Middle East swing, delivered another dominant performance in the first round, dismantling Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-1. Currently ranked 56th, Bencic is well on her way to becoming a seeded player, but until then, she remains a formidable early-round opponent. Given her consistency since her comeback, this will be a tough challenge for Anisimova, whose form remains unpredictable.
Kessler continues her strong run of form after reaching the final at the WTA 250 ATX Open last week. She will be the underdog against Sabalenka, particularly on Indian Wells’ faster courts, which should favor the Belarusian’s powerful game. However, Kessler has already produced notable upsets during the Middle East swing, including victories over compatriots Gauff and Anisimova. Sabalenka, meanwhile, showed vulnerabilities in February with some surprising defeats, meaning this match may not be as one-sided as the rankings suggest.
Comeback Stories
Robin Montgomery made the most of her wild card entry, pulling off the biggest comeback of the first round against Jule Niemeier. The German led 6-3, 5-2 with a double break in the second set, seemingly on the verge of victory. However, Montgomery turned the match around, winning five consecutive games to force a decider, where she took control to secure a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Anastasia Potapova also found herself on the brink of elimination against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, trailing 3-5 in the deciding set. She managed to avoid what could have been one of the biggest upsets of the first round, eventually prevailing after more than 2 hours and 40 minutes of play. Potapova now sets up an exciting second-round clash against Madison Keys, who returns to action for her first match as a Grand Slam champion. This will be a showdown between two title winners in 2024, following Potapova’s triumph at the WTA 250 event in Cluj last month.
Ashlyn Krueger may not have been on the verge of elimination, but losing the first set 0-6 against compatriot Katie Volynets was far from an encouraging start. However, she staged an impressive turnaround, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-2. Comebacks from a first-set bagel are rare, particularly when the match’s momentum shifts so dramatically. Krueger now faces Elina Svitolina in the second round, aiming to build on her resilience.
