Germany's Angelique Kerber will face Veronika Kudermetova at the 2024 WTA Indian Wells tennis tournament in an upcoming match. Kerber is enjoying her best result in a tournament since returning to the WTA Tour. Her match against Kudermetova will be a round-of-32 match in the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, a tournament Kerber made the final in back in 2019. For this upcoming match, she is priced as an underdog at +150 (bet365). My Kerber vs Kudermetova prediction focuses on the first set only, with a tip that Kerber will win the first set.
Schedule: Right-click/Open in the New Tab to check match times: subject to change
Angelique Kerber vs Veronika Kudermetova Head-to-Head Series
The Kerber vs Kudermetova h2h is 0-0. For rankings, Kerber is way out at 607, however, that will change drastically with the third-round appearance at Indian Wells. Kerber projects to be somewhere in the 430s with the next update, even if she does no better than the round of 32. Meanwhile, Kudermetova is ranked 19th in the world heading into this match.
The Draw: Right-click/Open the link in a new tab for the draw for the 2024 BNP Paribas Open
Angelique Kerber's Recent Matches and Results
Kerber beat Petra Martic in the first round in straight sets and Jelena Ostapenko in the second round in three sets. This latter win is the first major sign that Kerber is playing like a Top 30 player. So far this season, the former World No. 1 has been losing match after match, with just one exception before Indian Wells. She is currently staging a comeback after an extensive layoff due to maternity.
Veronika Kudermetova's Recent Matches and Results
We have not seen a lot out of Kudermetova this season. She was an early casualty in Brisbane, Adelaide, the Australian Open, Doha, and Dubai. In her first match in Indian Wells, she beat Nao Hibino in straight sets. If you went solely by her results this season, there would be nothing to suggest that she is a Top 20 player. Her start to the current campaign has been quiet. Her high ranking is largely staked in results last year from Tokyo, Rome, and Madrid.
Kerber vs Kudermetova Prediction: Kerber wins first set
Kerber outscoring Ostapenko 118-102 (the points from the previous match) is a really good result. But I am worried that Kerber's conditioning isn't where it needs to be for sustained success in an important tournament like Indian Wells. She is 36 years old and attempting a comeback after a long layoff. The only tournament where she played a lot of matches was the United Cup and she went just 1-4 in the tournament. I would take a stab at Kerber winning the first set at +130 but I'm worried the latter sets might see her fatigued (bet365).
Kudermetova vs Kerber prediction: Draw at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open
The winner gets either Caroline Wozniacki or Katie Volynets. A Wozniacki vs Kerber match would be a nice blast from the past.
