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By Chris Oddo | Monday, March 9, 2015

 
Madison Keys 2015 Indian Wells

Is Madison Keys ready to follow through on her Australian Open success? Find out who she'll have to face to do it here.

Photo Source: Corleve

Serena Williams will face either Monica Niculescu or Aleksandra Krunic in her first Indian Wells match since 2001, and the two-time champion, who has played 651 matches in fourteen years since last competing in the California desert, could face 28th-seeded Zarina Diyas in the third round before facing either 13th-seeded Angelique Kerber or 22nd-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in the round of 16.

See: BNP Paribas Open Ladies Singles Draw

For Williams, who owns a 14-1 main draw record at Indian Wells, there is no such thing as a bad draw. The 19-time major champion is responsible for everybody else’s bad draw, and that could be true for red-hot 8th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova, who would find herself facing Williams in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold.

Makarova, who reached the semifinals in Australia, is currently fifth in the Road to Singapore Standings and also owns a victory over Serena at a major. But she’s lost three straight matches and six straight sets to Williams.

For others not named Williams, the luck of the draw is a very real and tangible phenomenon. Let’s take a look at the draw winners and losers here:

Loser: Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka

Unfortunately only one will reach the fourth round, as Azarenka and Sharapova are slated for what would be a blockbuster third-round tilt. The good news for fans is that Sharapova and Azarenka have had a very intense rivalry that has seen both notch big wins. This will be an absolute popcorn match to round out the first week at Indian Wells.The bad news is that only one will have a chance to make a real impact on the draw. Azarenka holds the slim 7-6 edge in their career head-to-head, but Sharapova has won the last two, including a three-setter at Roland Garros in 2013.

Winner: Madison Keys

After a bye Keys could face Daniela Hantuchova or Klara Koukalova, and if she advances to the third round, Keys could face a very out-of-form 18th-seeded Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic, currently treading water in 2015, is 2-4 on the year, plus the 20-year-old took care of the Serb handily in their last meeting at Eastbourne.

Next, Keys could face 4th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the round of 16. Obviously, Wozniacki is no pushover, but Keys will certainly have the opportunity to take the racquet out of the Great Dane’s hands (something she’s good at and will try to do, no doubt).

Keys is not necessarily a lock to get through, but the opportunity is certainly there for her to follow through on her Australian Open success if she is ready to do that.

Loser: Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova

Another blockbuster third-round encounter could take place between these two rising stars at Indian Wells. Last month in Dubai, Muguruza and Pliskova played one of the best matches of the WTA season in the semifinals, and many believe (and hope) that there will be more titanic struggles to come between the two. Like Sharapova-Azarenka, this matchup will be great for fans on the first weekend, but bad for two players who would rather face each other a round or two later in the draw.

Winner: Andrea Petkovic and Alize Cornet

These two entertaining Top 20 seeds are slated for a third-round meeting, and the winner of said meeting could be headed for a deep run through the draw. Eugenie Bouchard is the top seed in this mini-section of the draw, but her form—and health—has been less than stellar this year.

Winner: Simona Halep

Halep isn’t slated to see any seed higher than No. 26 Varvara Lepchenko until the round of 16. In the round of 16 she could face either Muguruza or Pliskova (after they’ve worn each other out in the third round). In the quarters, if the seeds hold, Halep could face Agnieszka Radwanska, a player that she’s defeated in three of their last four battles, and one that is still trying to find herself under the tutelage of new coach Martina Navratilova. If Halep's rib injury has healed nicely, we like her chances of going deep with this draw.

Quarterfinals (If seeds hold):

Top Half:
[1] Serena Williams vs. [8] Ekaterina Makarova
[3] Simona Halep vs. [7] Agnieszka Radwanska

Bottom Half:
[6] Eugenie Bouchard vs. [4] Caroline Wozniacki
[5] Ana Ivanovic vs. [2] Maria Sharapova See the complete draw here

 

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