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Indian Wells 2021: Ons Jabeur vs Paula Badosa preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Day Eight: The Championships - Wimbledon 2021
Day Eight: The Championships - Wimbledon 2021

Match details

Fixture: (12) Ons Jabeur vs (21) Paula Badosa

Date: 15 October 2021

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: Semifinal

Venue: Indian Wells, USA

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,761,725

Match timing: Approx. 8 pm local time, 3 am GMT, 8.30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Ons Jabeur vs Paula Badosa preview

Ons Jabeur at the 2021 Wimbledon
Ons Jabeur at the 2021 Wimbledon

12th seed Ons Jabeur will face off against 21st seed Paula Badosa in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday.

Jabeur ended Anett Kontaveit's nine-match winning streak in the quarterfinals, with a 7-5, 6-3 win over the Estonian.

After making steady progress over the last couple of years, the Tunisian has made the jump to the next level this year. Consistent displays throughout the year have made her the tour leader in terms of match wins and a good performance in Indian Wells has ensured a top-10 debut in next week's rankings.

Jabeur won her maiden career title at this year's Birmingham Open, and also reached two more finals. Now in the biggest semifinal of her career, she will be looking to create more history with another win.

Paula Badosa at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.
Paula Badosa at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

Paula Badosa, meanwhile, defeated three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 6-4, 7-5 to advance to her second WTA 1000 semifinal of the season.

The 23-year-old rose to prominence this year during the clay swing. She defeated World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty at the Charleston Open and then reached her first semifinal at the WTA 1000 level in Madrid.

Badosa won her first career title at the Serbia Open the following week and concluded her successful clay season with a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros.

She posted a string of good results after the clay season as well, reaching the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics and the Cincinnati Open. Her consistent performances have seen her ranking rise to a career-high 26 and the Spaniard is set to surpass that due to her good showing in Indian Wells.

Ons Jabeur vs Paula Badosa head-to-head

Ons Jabeur and Paula Badosa have played each other twice so far and are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head. Both of their matches have gone the distance, with the Tunisian winning their most recent encounter 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-5 at the Miami Open this year.

Ons Jabeur vs Paula Badosa prediction

Ons Jabeur at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.
Ons Jabeur at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

The semi-final will witness a clash of contrasting playing styles. Paula Badosa is an aggressive baseliner with a good serve and likes to dictate the rallies from the get-go with her powerful groundstrokes.

Ons Jabeur, meanwhile, uses her variety to disrupt her opponent's rhythm. She frequently employs the the drop shot, which could prove very useful against Badosa who isn't that comfortable at the net.

However, Badosa's game is not all about offense and she can be patient in the rallies as well. The Spaniard will need to be on guard against Jabeur's wily tactics, and counter the Tunisian with some smart tennis of her own.

Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in three sets.

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