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Tuesday, 15 March 2022

Indian Wells Masters Tennis Picks 2022 (March 15th)

I have a busier day than expected on Tuesday and that means there is only one match that I have had time to write up, with the remaining selections below.

Simona Halep - 4.5 games v Sorana Cirstea: A little over a year separates these two players in age and it is something of a surprise that Simona Halep and Sorana Cirstea have not met more than three times on the pro Tour in their long careers. The two Romanian players will be very familiar with one another as they prepare to face off for the first time in over a decade when both Halep and Cirstea were still looking to make an impact on the Tour.

The last time these players met one another was in the Canadian Masters in 2010 and at the time Simona Halep was Ranked 96 and Sorana Cirstea Ranked 74. They are both inside the top 30 of the World Rankings these days, although it is Simona Halep who has had the stronger career and who is looking to reach the very top of the WTA Tour once again.

In saying that, Simona Halep will be the first to point out the improved tennis being produced by Sorana Cirstea over the last eighteen months which has rejuvenated a career that looked to have seen its best days. Sorana Cirstea has proved herself to be a tough out on the hard courts in 2022 and her numbers are solid behind serve, while the 46% of points won on the return makes her a very capable player.

The return numbers have taken a significant dent when Sorana Cirstea has played opponents Ranked inside the top 50 on this surface and that is really evident when looking at a twelve month sample of her results. However, the Simona Halep serve can be a little inconsistent and it should mean there is a chance for Cirstea to at least push her compatriot all the way.

Simona Halep is a very strong hard court player though and I think the conditions in Indian Wells should suit her game all the more than some of the other hard courts used on the Tour. It is a slower surface and Halep is a very strong clay court player too so I expect her timing to be unaffected here.

She has been serving well in 2022, although a couple of really poor matches have also been played, while Simona Halep has won 50% of points played on return. It should give her an edge in this match and help her move into a position to cover what is a big spread on first glance.

Sorana Cirstea has been a tough out for opponents and that is a concern ahead of this match, but I think Simona Halep has been able to win by comfortable margins in matches when she has gotten on a roll. There have been some poor defeats on the record in 2022, but Halep has won a lot of matches and I think she has enough in her tennis to be in a position to cover this mark.

MY PICKS: Simona Halep - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Petra Martic + 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Iga Swiatek - 5.5 Games @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Botic Van De Zandschlup - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)
Andrey Rublev - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)
Grigor Dimitrov @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Indian Wells Update: 15-15, - 6.24 Units (60 Units Staked, - 10.40% Yield)

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