Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Indian Wells Masters match.
Aryna Sabalenka steps into this semi-final seeking revenge for her Australian Open final defeat. The world No. 1 is determined to claim her first Indian Wells title after coming close last year. Madison Keys, on the other hand, has reached the semi-finals of this tournament for the first time, having never gone beyond the quarter-finals before. The American faces an uphill battle against an in-form Sabalenka.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has been dominant throughout the tournament, cruising past McCartney Kessler, Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, and Liudmila Samsonova without dropping a single set. In her last three matches, she has conceded no more than five games per match. The Belarusian has won 84% of her hard-court matches this season (16-3) and has beaten Keys in three of their last four encounters.
Madison Keys
Keys had a tough path to the semi-finals. While she comfortably dispatched Anastasia Potapova (6:3, 6:0), she struggled against Elise Mertens and Donna Vekić, dropping a set in both matches. One concerning statistic for the American is her low first-serve percentage at Indian Wells—averaging just 60%, compared to Sabalenka’s 65%.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys Prediction
Sabalenka is in peak form, while Keys has laboured through her matches, losing sets to the world No. 22 and No. 28. The world No. 1 has previously beaten Keys twice with a margin of over two games and is likely to assert her dominance once again.
