Indian Wells 2024: Dayana Yastremska vs Emma Raducanu preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open
Match Details
Fixture: (30) Dayana Yastremska vs (WC) Emma Raducanu
Date: March 9, 2024
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN/TVA
Dayana Yastremska vs Emma Raducanu preview
Dayana Yastremska and Emma Raducanu will duke it out in the second round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
Yastremska came through the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open and made it all the way to the semifinals. It was the first time she reached this stage at a Major. She took on Zheng Qinwen for a spot in the final but lost to her 6-4, 6-4.
Yastremska hasn't won back-to-back matches since then. She bowed out of the Linz Open and the San Diego Open in the second round, with a first-round exit from the Dubai Tennis Championships in between. As one of the seeded players at Indian Wells, she received a bye into the second round.
Raducanu commenced her Indian Wells campaign against qualifier Rebeka Masarova. The 21-year-old was off to a fast start as she broke her opponent's serve twice for a 3-0 headstart in the first set. She saw part of her lead evaporate as the Spaniard went on a two-game run to make it 3-2.
The momentum swung back in Raducanu's favor after that as she bagged the next three games to clinch the set. The second set played out in similar fashion. The Brit's 3-0 lead whittled down to 3-2 but she still led by a break.
Masarova then served to stay in the match at 5-3 and fought off three match points. However, Raducanu got the job done on her fourth opportunity to wrap up a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Dayana Yastremska vs Emma Raducanu head-to-head
Raducanu leads Yastremska 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Slovenia Open after the Ukrainian retired at the end of the second set.
Dayana Yastremska vs Emma Raducanu odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Dayana Yastremska vs Emma Raducanu prediction
Despite the scoreline, Raducanu had to dig deep to keep Masarova at bay. Her backhand worked quite well but it was her serve that let her down from time to time. The Brit was quite fortunate that her opponent couldn't capitalize on her chances that often.
Nevertheless, it was a pretty good display from Raducanu and a step up from her last match in Doha against Anhelina Kalinina, which she lost 6-0, 7-6 (6). As for Yastremska, she seems to have reverted to her old self following her Australian Open run.
She was relatively disciplined with her shotmaking in Melbourne and didn't let the error count pile up too much. However, that's not the case anymore. Unless Yastremska channels the form she displayed at the Australian Open, she won't be able to stop Raducanu from winning this match.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.