Indian Wells 2025 Day 1: Women's Singles predictions ft. Ann Li vs Irina-Camelia Begu

The main draw matches at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open will begin in Indian Wells on Wednesday, 05 March. The unseeded players will be in action, as the seeded players have received a bye in the first round.

The top-ranked players will not be playing on the first day, but there will still be some interesting matches. Here are some of the predictions for Women's Singles matches on Day 1:

#1. Ann Li vs Irina-Camelia Begu

World No. 66 Ann Li, who reached the final of the Singapore Open last month, will face the former World No. 22 Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round. It will be their third meeting, as Ann Li won when they met in Tenerife in 2021, whereas Begu won when they played in Palermo in 2024.

2025 Australian Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

34-year-old Begu has not won a main draw match at any WTA event in 2025, so she will be looking for her first win.

Ann Li has had a better year. Looking at her past record in Indian Wells, Begu has won six matches in her previous nine main draw appearances, whereas Li could not win any main draw match in her last three appearances in Indian Wells.

Prediction: Ann Li to win in three sets

#2. Marie Bouzkova vs Suzan Lamens

World No. 50 Marie Bouzkova will face World No. 64 Suzan Lamens in the first round. They will meet each other for the second time, as Bouzkova won in straight sets when they met in the first round of the Guangzhou Open last year.

Bouzkova has a 5-3 win-loss record in 2025. She started the year by reaching the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International, where she defeated Jelena Ostapenko and Victoria Azarenka. However, she has not played any match since losing in the first round of the Australian Open in January.

25-year-old Lamens has a 9-7 win-loss record in 2025, but four of those wins came in the qualifying round matches. She was beaten 1-6, 0-6 by Greet Minnen in the second round of the ATX Open last week.

Prediction: Marie Bouzkova to win in straight sets

#3. Xinyu Wang vs Mayar Sherif

World No. 42 Xinyu Wang will face Egypt's Mayar Sherif in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. Wang reached the semifinal at the Singapore Open last month but other than that she has not had much success in 2025 so far.

On the other hand, Sherif is also looking for her first win this season, as she lost her first round matches at the Hobart International, Australian Open, Upper Linz Open, Transylvania Open and Merida Open.

They are level 1-1 in their head-to-head record, but Wang won their most recent meeting in straight sets in Hua Hin last year. She has a 3-2 win-loss record in the main draw matches at the BNP Paribas Open, whereas Sherif could win only one main draw match in her four appearances at the event.

Prediction: Xinyu Wang to win in straight sets

#4. Rebecca Sramkova vs Lulu Sun

World No. 37 Rebecca Sramkova and World No. 49 Lulu Sun are scheduled to play for the second week in a row. They met in the first round of the Merida Open, where Sramkova won in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. The Slovakian lost in the quarterfinals to Emiliana Arango in three sets.

Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia plays a backhand shot against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan during day four of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open - Source: Getty

Last year's Wimbledon quarterfinalist, 23-year-old Lulu Sun, has had a disappointing season so far. She has a 1-8 win-loss record in 2025 and lost her last four matches without winning a set.

Sramkova would hope to win her second consecutive time against her opponent from New Zealand. She has a 1-2 win-loss record in the main draw matches at Indian Wells, where Sun will make her debut at the event.

Prediction: Rebecca Sramkova to win in straight sets