World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka plays her first match since her Australian Open final defeat. The Belarusian has made the final in two of her last three visits to Indian Wells and faces Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume. As always, we at LWOT offer our previews and predictions for all matches on the slate. But who will advance?

WTA Indian Wells Day 3
Iva Jovic vs Camila Osorio

Head-to-head: Jovic 1-0 Osorio

Jovic is quickly staking her claim as the tour’s fastest rising star, coming off a Grand Slam quarterfinal and breaking the world’s top 20. And losses like the one in Austin are part of the learning curve. The encouraging part is how quickly she adjusts and bounces back. Osorio is one of the trickiest players to manage from the baseline. The Colombian brings a very versatile brand of tennis, but I expect Jovic to seize the critical points.

Prediction: Jovic in 2

Linda Noskova vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

Head-to-head: Bouzas Maneiro 1-0 Noskova

Bouzas Maneiro had that standout win over Coco Gauff at the United Cup, but her season stalled shortly after. The Spaniard eventually ended her four-match losing run in Merida and picked up a high-quality first-round victory in Indian Wells against Haddad Maia. Noskova dealt with some physical problems throughout the Australian summer. She has also endured an inconsistent start to the year, with her patchy performances continuing during the Middle East swing. The Czech has the higher upside, but Bouzas Maneiro can bring bursts of pace and dominate rallies to flip this match at WTA Indian Wells.

Prediction: Bouzas Maneiro in 3

Xinyu Wang vs Ajla Tomljanovic

Head-to-head: Tomljanovic 1-0 Wang

Wang surprisingly lost to Rebeka Masarova in Austin. It’s the kind of loss that can rattle confidence. It was her first defeat against a player outside the top 100. Wang has raised her level in this tournament in recent years, making the third round twice and securing big wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jelena Ostapenko. Tomljaknivc brings a very predictable game in this matchup, but she can dictate points when fully healthy. She hits the ball cleanly and punishes any short balls. This will be a tough opener for China’s No. 2.

Prediction: Tomljanovic in 3

Aryna Sabalenka vs Himeno Sakatsume

Head-to-head: first meeting

Indian Wells remains one of the few big titles that Aryna Sabalenka has not lifted in her career. That said, the Belarusian will be a strong favorite to break her duck. She’s made two finals and was a set away from winning the tournament last year. Himeno Sakatsume has piled up plenty of wins this season and was brilliant in qualifying, beating some very talented players. The Japanese upstaged Alycia Parks in the main draw to earn a second-round meeting against the top seed. But this should be a steep climb for the qualifier. Sabalenka’s overwhelming power should shake off any sluggishness or rust in her game.

Prediction: Sabalenka in 2

Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images