2019 BNP Paribas Open Quarter Final 1: Garbine Muguruza vs Bianca Andreescu, Preview and Prediction

In the first quarter final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, two-time slam champion Garbine Muguruza takes on the teen sensation from Canada, Bianca Andreescu.

Muguruza has had an underwhelming season so far. She lost in the fourth round of the year’s first Grand Slam. Then, she opted to play the Thailand Open as the top seed, but lost at the quarter final stage to Dayana Yastremska.

She did not fare much better at Dubai Open either. In fact, she suffered a humiliating loss to two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina in a shockingly one-sided match.

But, she has a chance to salvage her season at the Indian Wells. Fate has also intervened in her favour. She had a difficult third round match against Serena Williams, but illness to Serena meant she did not have to play a fully fit and dominant Williams. As it turned out, the American superstar had to retire mid-match.

Muguruza at BNP Paribas Open - Day 9

She was then quite impressive in her next match against seventh seed Kiki Bertens. She came back strongly after losing a tight first set and surrendered only five games in the next two sets.

Her opponent in the quarter final is the teen sensation from Canada, the eighteen-year-old Bianca Andreescu, who is beginning to take the tennis world by storm. She began the year by qualifying for the main draw of the Australian Open, where she managed to reach the second round.

After that, she has won the Oracle Challenger series and reached the semi-finals of the Mexican Open. She has lit up the Indian Wells with scintillating display on the tennis court so far.

After a tight three-set win against Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round, she has been almost unstoppable, winning the next three matches in straight sets. She defeated the thirty-second seed Dominica Cibulkova in the second round. In a match she fully dominated, she broke Cibulkova four times without being broken even once.

She simply brushed aside her next opponent, Stefanie Vogele in a 6-1, 6-2 demolition act. In her fourth round match, she notched up yet another impressive win against the eighteenth seed Wang Qiang. In another dominating performance, the only blip was her second serve win percentage which was at a lowly 45%.

A confident Andreescu is expected to give a tough fight to the experienced Muguruza, and if she wins that match, it should not be considered an upset.

Prediction: Bianca Andreescu to win in 3 Sets.