Indian Wells 2021: Angelique Kerber vs Daria Kasatkina preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Match details

Fixture: (10) Angelique Kerber vs (20) Daria Kasatkina

Date: 11 October 2021

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Indian Wells, USA

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $8,761,725

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Angelique Kerber vs Daria Kasatkina preview

Angelique Kerber at the 2021 Wimbledon.

Angelique Kerber started her 2021 BNP Paribas Open campaign with a tough three-set victory over against Katerina Siniakova. The 10th-seeded German will next take on 20th seed Daria Kasatkina in the third round on Monday.

Kerber, a former World No. 1 had a rough first half of the season. She suffered a series of early exits in almost every tournament she played in and lost in the first-round of the French Open for the third time in a row. However, she began her resurgence during the grasscourt season.

She won her first title in almost three years at the Bad Homburg Open and reached the semifinals of Wimbledon. The German continued her string of good performances during the North American hardcourt swing, which concluded with a fourth-round loss to eventual finalist Leylah Fernandez at the US Open.

Daria Kasatkina at the 2021 French Open.

Daria Kasatkina, meanwhile, advanced to the third round at Indian Wells after Astra Sharma retired halfway through the first set of their second-round clash.

The Russian had a brilliant 2018 that saw her end the season ranked number 10. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't sustain that momentum and the last two years have been quite disappointing by her standards. However, Kasatkina has rebounded in spectacular fashion this year, winning two titles and reaching another two finals.

Her record in 2021 stands at 35-17 and she has won more matches this year than the last two combined.

Angelique Kerber vs Daria Kasatkina head-to-head

Angelique Kerber and Daria Kasatkina have split their eight meetings, meaning their head-to-head is deadlocked at 4-4. The 24-year-old Russian won their most recent encounter in 2019 at the Canadian Open while also defeating the former World No. 1 en route to the final at Indian Wells in 2018.

Angelique Kerber vs Daria Kasatkina prediction

Kerber at the 2021 Stuttgart Open.

Both Angelique Kerber and Daria Kasatkina are former finalists at Indian Wells, having reached the title round in 2018 and 2019 respectively. They're familiar with the conditions as well as with each other's games.

Kasatkina is known for her variety, utilizing all kinds of different shots to keep her opponents off-balance. Kerber, on the other hand, is a supreme defender. The three-time Grand Slam winner uses her athleticism and anticipation to extend rallies, often frustrating her opponents into making unforced errors.

Despite her primarily defensive style of play, Kerber has the ability to go on the attack and hit winners, and her forehand down-the-line is particularly lethal. The German has been in better form than the Russian over the last couple of months and that could give her the edge in this contest.

Prediction: Angelique Kerber to win in three sets.