'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABgAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAIBBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAFERIEBiIUAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBREAAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDABEhQRITUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ay93S/Gzcdvxo1NtuyFgSntF62CTTBox6j5xUckdh5CoOF6YsMiJiATDEdhnApSiE0qRLxcjA36oNWVjXuYZtZtnTEV//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match details
Fixture: (17) Karolina Pliskova vs (11) Veronika Kudermetova
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
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
Karolina Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova preview
The third round of the women's 2023 Indian Wells Open will have two big-serving names — Karolina Pliskova and Veronika Kudermetova — locking horns in an exciting encounter.
Pliskova, the 17th seed at this year's tournament, came into 2023 on the back of a poor record to show for the last 12 months. The Czech battled injuries and a loss of form in 2022, but managed to stop the rot in Melbourne.
Serving back at her vintage best, Pliskova made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the loss of only 18 games. She was stopped by an inspired Magda Linette, but has managed some decent results since and will be keen to build on the same.
In her second-round encounter in Indian Wells, she beat Anna Kalinskaya 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 to reach the Round of 32.
Kudermetova, meanwhile, has had a bit of a topsy-turvy season in 2023 so far. While she has a couple of semifinal runs in Doha and Adelaide to boast of, the 11th seeded Russian has also suffered early exits at bigger events in Melbourne, and Dubai — where she was a defending finalist.
Here in Indian Wells this week, she opened her campaign with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 win over Anna Blinkova. In the form of a big hitter in Pliskova, though, she faces a completely different opponent heading into the third round.
Karolina Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head
Kudermetova leads Pliskova in their current head-to-head 2-1, having taken the duo’s two most recent meetings — both of which came in 2020.
Karolina Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova odds
(Odds to be updated soon)
Karolina Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction
With both Karolina Pliskova and Veronika Kudermetova employing an aggressive brand of tennis and striking the ball big on nearly every shot, fans can expect plenty of winners from both ends of the court.
That said, the courts in Indian Wells are notoriously slow. The Czech, in particular, is prone to getting frustrated when not finding clean winners and can give away a fair few points in the form of easy errors.
For Kudermetova, the key will lie in finding ways to hang around in the rallies — especially in return games — long enough to draw the error from her opponent. If she can play with a certain amount of restraint herself, the Russian could well walk away with a win.
Prediction: Kudermetova to win in three sets
