Sloane Stephens vs. Heather Watson 10/6/21 - Indian Wells Masters Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 10/05/2021 at 10:10 AM ET
American tennis superstar Sloane Stephens is set to play at the 2021 WTA Indian Wells Masters. Stephens will begin her tournament against Heather Watson from the United Kingdom.
Sloane Stephens last played at the Chicago Classic where she was eliminated in the opening round of the tournament. It was a poor performance by Sloane as she only managed to win 3 games in the entire match. It seems like Sloane Stephens is well past the levels she was at when she won the US Open in 2017 but the American recently had a modest US Open campaign and should have some confidence heading into this match. This is not an easy opening round fixture for Sloane Stephens as she is playing a strong player in Heather Watson.
Looking at Heather Watson, the UK-based tennis player has also been struggling. Watson has failed to win a match since the Cincinnati Masters and failed at major tournaments such as the US Open. This has been an extremely tough season for Heather Watson as she has only won 1 Grand Slam match in 2021. This stage of the season is always tough when players have been struggling and it is going to take a huge effort from Watson to win this match.
Sloane Stephens and Heather Watson have played each other 7 times in the past with Stephens winning on 2 occasions while Watson has won 5 times. The most recent match between these two players was in 2016 at the Miami Masters where Heather Watson won in straight sets. Sloane Stephens last defeated Heather Watson in 2015 at the Eastbourne International.
Both Heather Watson and Sloane Stephens have been struggling. That should result in an interesting match. I see Heather Watson winning this match. Watson has a better head-to-head record and I see her bringing that momentum into this match. Watson to win in 3 sets.
