Indian Wells 2023: Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | BNP Paribas Open
Match details
Fixture: (20) Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu
Date: March 11, 2023
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu preview
World No. 21 Magda Linette will square off against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Linette's wins over Zhibek Kulambayeva, Lucia Bonzetti and Jil Teichmann helped Poland qualify for the United Cup semifinals. She then lost to Madison Keys as the Americans sent the Polish contingent packing from the tournament.
Linette reached her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, where she went down against eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.
As the top seed at the Merida Open, she made it to the quarterfinals, but came up short against Rebecca Peterson. Linette next faced Varvara Gracheva in the first round of last week's ATX Open. She put up a fight before losing in three sets.
As one of the seeded players at Indian Wells, she received a first-round bye.
Raducanu, meanwhile, kicked off her BNP Paribas Open campaign against Danka Kovinic. The latter was the first to break serve to go 2-0 up. The Brit flipped the script completely after that as she reeled off six straight games to clinch the opening set.
Kovinic struck first in the second set as well, jumping to a 2-0 lead yet again. Raducanu staged yet another fightback, bagging four games in a row this time around. The 20-year-old held on to the lead and soon won the match 6-2, 6-3.
Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
Raducanu leads Linette 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Korea Open in straight sets.
Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu prediction
Raducanu played at a decent level to get past Kovinic in the first round, but she was certainly helped by her opponent's countless errors. The Brit is still not at her best physically, but her ability to step up her game despite her health issues is a good sign.
Following her semifinal run at the Australian Open, Linette hasn't displayed the same intensity in her recent matches. The Pole at her best can make things difficult with her counterpunching, and isn't shy about taking charge of the match with some attacking tennis either.
However, Linette is known to go off the rails when things don't go her way. Against a physically hampered Raducanu, she'll be expected to emerge victorious. If the British youngster's body holds up, she certainly has the potential to score an upset win.
Pick: Magda Linette to win in three sets.