The BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament from Indian Wells moves into second-round action on Friday and so do our tennis picks. This means that in a 96-player tournament, the seeded players are now part of the action. They’ve been idle while the first-round competitors played.
We had a productive day with our tennis picks on Thursday as we hit two out of three selections with the lone loss being an underdog play. That was Donna Vekic, who lost in straight sets to favorite Tsvetana Pironkova. She lost the first set rather easily and then pushed her in the second set before losing 7-5. We did win two matches, though, with Zarina Diyas taking care of business against Jamie Loeb in straight sets as well as Margarita Gasparyan disposing of Olga Govortseva in straight sets too. Gasparyan only lose four games in the entire match.
Now it’s on to Friday with our tennis picks where the bigger seeds get involved. Will they be rusty, or will they be fresh? These are the kinds of things to pay attention to.
Venus Williams vs. Kurumi Nara
Betting Odds: Williams -417
This is a highly anticipated match not because of Venus Williams’ opponent, but because this is Venus Williams’ return to Indian Wells after her sister came back last year. The Williamses were part of an ugly scene in 2001, when a hostile reception from the crowd in California was severe enough that the Williamses felt there was an underlying racial animus involved. There was, at the time, a belief among some fans that the Williamses pre-arranged or decided which sister was to win matches. When Venus withdrew shortly before a semifinal against Serena, the crowd booed. This might have been the kind of thing which was contained to just one day, but when Serena was booed during the championship match of the 2001 event (against Kim Clijsters), and then again during the trophy presentation, the Williamses had enough. They stayed away for a long time, and only when Serena came back last year was there a thaw in the relationship between the sisters and the tournament. Venus has now felt that she can come back herself, so this first match will be an emotional one.
Emotions can work against a player, but Venus is experienced in handling these kinds of moments. She should play with energy and inspiration. She probably won’t get caught off guard. That alone is enough to recommend her as the pick here.
Pick: Venus in straight sets
Vania King vs. Simona Halep
Betting Odds: Halep -526
This is a matchup which is lopsided on the surface, but nothing should be taken for granted with a Halep match these days. Halep lost the opener of the Australian Open in a shocker, and she’s been dealing with injury issues for much of this season. It is very hard to gauge both her form and her readiness for this match, and it’s therefore a betting situation which would make a lot of people stay away. However, Halep has had time in which to not only recuperate on a physical level, but regroup on a mental level, and get her confidence back. If Halep was really hurt enough, she probably wouldn’t have played this tournament. She should be able to do what she needs to win in straights.
Pick: Halep in straight sets
Nicole Gibbs vs. Madison Keys
Betting Odds: Keys -179
This is a match which Keys should be able to dictate the pace of play. Keys is most at home on hardcourt surfaces as she’s a power player. She has big strokes from the baseline and that’s why the hard surface, which accentuates her power, is the place for her to be. She’s a popular player performing before what should be a very supportive crowd too as she’s American. Keys should be able to acquire the right mindset and play with the easy power she demonstrates on serve and from the backcourt. This is Keys’ match to lose, and a bet against her would not seem to be the wise play here. Take Keys with your tennis picks here.
Pick: Keys in straight sets
Want to give your comments about this article? You can either leave them here or you can join us on the Get More Sports Forum and talk about this article and many more! Brag about your favorite team, argue about an athlete’s performance or tell us about a game you saw. Join a new community of sports fans who live and breathe sports and sports entertainment. It’s free! Join now!
