2022 BNP Paribas Open Best Bets for March 12 (Archive)
The tennis action continues in the desert of Indian Wells. This will be the first day that the seeded players are in action on the ATP side as the second round progresses. After going through today’s schedule to find winning tennis picks, here are the best plays for a winning Saturday.
Leylah Annie Fernandez vs. Amanda Anisimova
Saturday, March 12, 2022 – 09:00 PM EST at Stadium 2
Amanda Anisimova
Amanda Anisimova has come into the year looking to make a big leap in her accomplishments and ranking. Anisimova is tall and athletic. Her height gives her the ability to strike down on the service, making her one of the most impressive servers in the WTA. Amanda plays the power game. Amanda can dial up the pace so high that she can hit through her opponents even on the slower courts of Indian Wells.
Amanda won the Tiebreak Tens tournament that took place on Tuesday, showing that she is in good form and ready to compete here for the next week. Amanda Anisimova won her first-round match against Emma Navarro in routine fashion 6-2, 6-2. Anisimova spent less than one hour on the court as the match was only 54 minutes long.
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Anisimova's powerful serve allowed her to win 88% (23-26) of her first-serve points. She also won an extremely impressive 75% of second-serve points (9-12). She did not face a breakpoint for the whole match. All in all, it was an impressive performance from the young American and showed that she is here to compete.
Anisimova is currently ranked number 43 in the world and I expect that to be at least 20 rankings higher by the time this season ends.
Leylah Annie Fernandez
Leylah Annie Fernandez is coming off her title win in Monterrey, Mexico. Fernandez played excellent tennis all week, and the conditions in Monterrey are definitely good preparation for her time here in the desert.
Fernandez plays the exact opposite game of Anisimova. Leylah is smaller in stature and definitely plays the defensive style. Fernandez is adept at redirecting pace, so she can generate offense, especially against the big-hitting players on tour, such as her opponent today.
Fernandez plays tennis with joy and bubbly enthusiasm that makes her very easy to root for. Fernandez does not hide her emotions on the court. She has an infectious smile when things are going well. Things have gone well for Fernandez as of late, so we've been able to see a lot of her winning personality shine through during recent events.
The Pick
I think that this match is going to be very tough for Fernandez though. Anisimova has such power that she will be able to hit through Fernandez. Even though Fernandez plays excellent defense, the pace that Anisimova is able to generate will be too much for the up-and-coming young Canadian player.
The match will be on Anisimova's racket, and in her current form, I can't go against her. Our first best bet for today's Indian Wells is Amanda Anisimova -2.5 games.
Tennis Pick: Amanda Anisimova -2.5 Games (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Mackenzie McDonald
Saturday, March 12, 2022 - 02:00 PM EST at Stadium 3
Carlos Alcaraz
This will be the first match for Carlos Alcaraz since his win at the Rio de Janeiro clay tournament in February. Alcaraz has had an excellent year, going 8-1. His only loss this year was a five-set thriller against Matteo Berrettini in Australia. As fast as the courts play in Australia, that's how slow they are here in Indian Wells.
This is a hard court surface that will be much more suited to the style of Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos Alcaraz will be the best clay player in the world once Rafael Nadal retires. Alcaraz continues to improve year by year. He is currently number 19 in the world and I would not be surprised to see him in the top 10 by the end of the year.
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I have high hopes for Alcaraz in this tournament and this season.
Mackenzie McDonald
Mackenzie McDonald is a 26-year-old American ranked 59th in the world. McDonald moved to 7-7 on the year after his first-round win over Marton Fucsovics.
The match was close, but Mackenzie was able to prevail 7-6, 7-5. In the match, McDonald only had 3 aces but won 75% of his first-serve points. McDonald will need another big serving day to keep up with Carlos Alcaraz.
McDonald has had fairly straightforward results this year, beating players that he was ranked higher than, and losing to those ranked lower than he. Unfortunately for the American, Alcaraz is 40 spots higher than him in the rankings.
The Pick
I think Carlos Alcaraz's brilliance from the baseline will be too much for the American player today. Alcaraz has all the tools to play defense and offense, and in any extended rally, he will have a big advantage. He is a favorite at top-rated sportsbooks.
Unless McDonald has one of the best serving performances of his career, he will not be able to keep pace with the talented young Spaniard. Our second best bet for today's action in Indian Wells is Carlos Alcaraz -4 games.
Tennis Pick: Carlos Alcaraz -3.5 Games (-131) with BetOnline
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