Indian Wells 2022: Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Garcia preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Dayana Yastremska (L) and Caroline Garcia

Match details

Fixture: (WC) Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Garcia

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Indian Wells, USA

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,369,455

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

Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Garcia preview

Yastremska at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska will take on former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia in the first round of the 2022 Indian Wells Open.

After a string of early losses, Yastremska has stepped up her game over the last few weeks. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she made it all the way to the quarterfinals as a qualifier. She even defeated 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.

Yastremska then reached her first final in more than two years at the Lyon Open, but lost to Zhang Shuai.

She has also been quite vocal about the events in Ukraine and has donated her prize money to aid her country's war efforts.

My beloved Ukraine, I really wanted to win this one for you!! 💙💛🥺I gave my absolute best throughout this week because that’s what Ukrainians do!Thank you for all the support I received this week, it means the world to me. I am forever grateful!🇫🇷#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 https://t.co/qdJVsWkf8d

Caroline Garcia, meanwhile, has been rather inconsistent this season. She made it to the quarterfinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic before losing in the opening rounds of the Australian Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.

At the Qatar Open, Garcia upset former World No. 1 Simona Halep in the opening round but lost to Coco Gauff in the next round.

Thank you @qatartennis for the invitation 🙌🏻Merci @qatartennis pour l invitation t l opportunité de jouer à Doha pour la 8e fois déjà !
Quelques jours de repos puis préparation pour le tournoi de Lyon, tellement hâte de jouer à la maison 🙌🏻🤗 @Open6emeSensML
Photo @sharifaphoto https://t.co/BJ8FYKq4XC

At the Lyon Open, she upset top seed Camila Giorgi in the first round and reached the semifinals, losing to eventual winner Zhang Shuai. With high-level performances over the past few weeks, Garcia will look to continue the momentum in the California desert.

Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Garcia head-to-head

The pair have squared off twice before, with Yastremska leading 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2019 Beijing Open in straight sets.

Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Garcia prediction

Both players have raised their level over the last few weeks, though Yastremska will have a slight edge heading into this encounter, considering her positive head-to-head against Garica.

Yastremska's aggressive brand of tennis helps her hit many winners but she is also guilty of leaking unforced errors. While she prefers using her forehand to trouble her opponents, her backhand is quite solid. Her serve is steady, though she tends to double fault under pressure.

Garcia's extensive doubles experience has transformed her into an all-court player. She's competent in every aspect of the game, but has a tendency to self-destruct at times, even when things are going well for her.

If she can stay patient and go toe-to-toe with Yastremska, the Ukrainian might get flustered and pull the trigger too soon, leading to errors. Garica shouldn't be too passive though, as Yastremska could blow her off the court with her powerful groundstrokes.

If the Ukrainian is able to keep her unforced errors in check, though, there's not much her opponent will be able to do.

Prediction: Dayana Yastremska to win in three sets.