Date/Time: Thursday 7th March 2019 (Kick-off 8:00 PM CET).
There was a time when Sam Stosur was someone who could be considered a threat to win Singles Grand Slam titles but at 34 years old her best days look to be behind her. Now it looks like the Australian is slipping down the World Rankings to the point where she will have to Qualify for some of the biggest events on the Tour and I do have to think that Stosur is perhaps considering her future in the sport.
In the first couple of years of this decade Stosur reached the Final of the French Open and won the US Open and I do think her hard work has been rewarded by overachieving the expectations most would have had of her.
The decline in the last couple of years has been evident, but Stosur may just be able to put a win on the board in the First Round in Indian Wells as she faces Madison Brengle.
This is an opponent that Stosur has beaten in all three previous matches and Brengle is another one of the players who looks to have had their best years on the Tour. Hard work has been the key for Brengle, but her game is pretty average and one that is hard to really imprint on opponents which means she is regularly put under the cosh.
Madison Brengle's last twelve months on the hard courts have seen her produce a lot more wins than Stosur and you can't ignore how much of a mental affect that can have on players. However a deeper look shows she is just 1-7 against top 100 Ranked players on the Tour in that time and Brengle has been struggling to really challenge those opponents.
Stosur is not playing like a top 100 player despite the Ranking, but her numbers have been stronger when facing players outside of the top 50 in the World Rankings. With her previous wins over Brengle as well as having the serve that can provide a few more cheaper ways through games, I think Stosur will find her way to a win here although the veteran is not someone I will be backing too many times going forward with a severe decline clear to see.
Prediction: Sam Stosur - 1.5 games
T&Cs apply.
