Three to See, Indian Wells Day 2: Kim Clijsters returns to the desert
Also in action on day two, Frances Tiafoe vs. Benoit Paire, and Amanda Anisimova vs. Kristen Scott.
Kim Clijsters vs. Katerina Siniakova
Clijsters probably hears a lot of stats like this these days: When she won the first of her two Indian Wells titles, in 2003, her opponent was all of 7 years old. Now Clijsters is 38 and Siniakova is 25, and they’ll meet for the first time in Stadium 1 on Thursday afternoon. Clijsters will be the sentimental favorite, and she’s probably still the cleaner ball-striker of the two. Few have ever hit it as well as this four-time Grand Slam champ, and most tennis fans are happy to have a chance to see her back on a tennis court whenever they can. But Siniakova will be the favorite, simply because she has played a full schedule in recent months, and has a WTA ranking (No. 53). Clijsters has played just one match in 2021, a three-set loss to Su-Wei Hsieh in Chicago last week. But the fact that Clijsters was able to take a set from Hsieh tells you that no opponent should take her lightly. Winner: Siniakova
Amanda Anisimova vs. Kristen Scott
Life comes at you fast, especially when you’re a tennis player. Anisimova is all of 20, but she’ll be the elder American stateswoman in this contest. Scott is a promising 17-year-old prospect, a hard-hitting lefty, and she already has a history with Anisimova: last summer, she had her countrywoman on the ropes for a set, before Anisimova won in three. We’ll see who takes more confidence into this match Scott after showing she can compete with AA; or Anisimova after playing, and losing, her best match of 2021, a three-set thriller against Karolina Pliskova that made us all remember how brilliantly the New Jersey native can belt a tennis ball. Winner: Anisimova
France Tiafoe vs. Benoit Paire
The showmen will come out at night on Thursday, when these two player-entertainers take over the main stadium. Tiafoe and Paire are best-known for their extracurricular antics—Tiafoe for flexing shirtless; Paire for decimating racquets and taking mid-match vacations. But beneath the flash there should be some substance to this contest. Only one ranking spot separates them—Tiafoe is No. 49, Paire No. 50—and each has crowd-pleasing talent to go along with the personality. The Frenchman has a world-class backhand, and the American covers the court like few others. Let’s hope for the best from both. Winner: Tiafoe