Old friends and rivals, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki, will play each other in the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open. The former leads their head-to-head 8-7, but the latter won their lone encounter in Indian Wells, in the 2013 semifinals. The Tuesday match promises to be a nailbiter and will test how far they have come in their return to the sport.
Success here in the desert can give them a massive boost in points and each has lifted the trophy here before. Both recently returned to the tour and are still fighting to restore their places in the rankings, the German entering the tournament at world No.607 and the Dane at No.204. Now in the round of 16, the live ranking has them at No.342 and No.148, respectively. Both held the world number one spot at one point in their careers and are clawing their way closer with every week back on tour.
The German told Women’s Tennis Blog she expects both of them will savor the match more at this stage in their careers than previous encounters when they were younger. While the veterans have not played each other since 2018 in Eastbourne, they practice together frequently and stay in touch daily. The 36-year-old said, “I think we are both looking forward to this match and we are both in the same situation. We will try to play…
