Sorana Cirstea vs Tatjana Maria Preview & Prediction | 2026 Indian Wells Open (BNP Paribas Open) | First Round
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Sorana Cirstea begins her final Indian Wells campaign against Tatjana Maria in the first-round.
Ranking points: WTA 1000
Start date/time:
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, USA
Surface: Outdoor hard
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – Tennis Channel
How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – Tennis Channel
Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Sorana Cirstea vs Tatjana Maria ticket information
Sorana Cirstea vs Tatjana Maria prediction
Sorana Cirstea has already enjoyed success in the first few months of her final season on tour, winning her home event in Cluj-Napoca after defeating Emma Raducanu in the final at the start of last month. The Romanian then competed in Dubai, winning her first two matches against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Linda Noskova. Cirstea’s seven-match winning run would end against Alexandra Eala, but the 35-year-old should be confident of making a run at this tournament.
She faces Tatjana Maria, who is completely out-of-sorts at the moment. The veteran has lost her last five matches in total, last winning in the first-round of the Philippines Open. Maria is yet to make it past the second-round of a tournament this season or win consecutive matches in 2026.
Cirstea leads the head-to-head 4-1 and is in much better form at the moment, compared to Maria. The Romanian is the clear favourite in the first-round.
Sorana Cirstea vs Tatjana Maria tip: Sorana Cirstea to win 2-0
