Get ready as we bring you a vibrant preview of the first two quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open straight from Indian Wells!
Simona Halep 1/4 | Petra Martic 3/1 (Forecast Odds)
Simona Halep, the World No. 1 and 2015 champion, has surely let out a huge sigh of relief after a tough third-round battle with Caroline Dolehide. Despite facing fierce competition from players like Muguruza, Kvitova, Svitolina and Serena Williams already out of the tournament, Halep has shown her resilience. She claimed an early-season trophy in Shenzhen and though she faced a heartbreaking Grand Slam final and a withdrawal from Doha semifinals, she looks fit and ready. Her confident 7-5, 6-1 win over Qiang Wang in Round 3 set the tone for her quarter-final clash with 27-year-old Petra Martic.
Petra Martic is turning heads with one of the biggest upsets so far, having knocked out French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round. Overcoming a challenging draw including Tatjana Maria and Barbora Strycova, Martic has yet to drop a set, defeating Marketa Vondrusova convincingly. Her win over Ostapenko marked her first top-10 victory in six years. The head-to-head between Martic and Halep stands evenly at 1-1, though their last meeting was several years ago. Martic had a strong Melbourne campaign, only falling to eventual semi-finalist Elize Mertens. While Halep is favoured, Martic’s 3/1 odds might offer interesting value, especially considering Halep’s occasional struggles with emotional and physical stamina.
Karolina Pliskova 4/7 | Naomi Osaka 11/8 (Forecast Odds)
This quarter has been no stranger to surprises with the likes of Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Coco Vandeweghe and Garbine Muguruza already out. Fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, despite a shaky season with early exits in Dubai, Doha, and the Australian Open quarterfinals, has now positioned herself as a strong contender for a quarter-final spot. She overcame Irina-Camelia Begu and battled through a tough match against Shuai Zhang before cruising past Amanda Anisimova in the Round of 16, entering this stage with high confidence.
Naomi Osaka is enjoying a dream run, taking down former champions Maria Sharapova and ranked players like Radwanska and Sachia Vickery. She hadn’t lost a set before a hard-fought three-set win against Sakkari in the Round of 16. Pliskova leads the head-to-head 1-0, although Osaka had to withdraw when the match was tied in sets last year on Canadian Hardcourts. Given the recent big upsets, Pliskova’s 4/7 odds look justified as she eyes to seize this opportunity.
Written by Damien Kayat for
@Hollywoodbets.net
