Simona Halep leads the head-to-head, 3-1, but why could it easily have been 3-1 the other way? Where will they go on the Road To Singapore leaderboard now? Read on!
The first Premier Mandatory final of 2015 is here, and there's a lot on the line for the Romanian No.1 and a former World No.1 - here are 10 Things To Know about the BNP Paribas Open final...
(3) Simona Halep (ROU #3) vs (18) Jelena Jankovic (SRB #21)
Head-To-Head: Halep leads Jankovic, 3-1
1) Halep leads the head-to-head, 3-1, but that could easily have been 3-1 for Jankovic.
These two WTA stars have gone to three sets in all four of their previous meetings, and two of them could easily have gone the other way - Jankovic had match points in two of Halep's three wins:
2010 US Open 1r - Jankovic d. Halep, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
2012 Brussels 1r - Halep d. Jankovic, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3) (Jankovic held 3mp in third set)
2013 Rome QFs - Halep d. Jankovic, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 (Jankovic held 2mp in third set)
2014 Australian Open 4r - Halep d. Jankovic, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
2) Halep is going for the biggest title of her career.
Right now, Halep's biggest WTA titles are at the Premier 5 level - Doha last year and Dubai earlier this year. Winning Indian Wells would give her the first Premier Mandatory-level title of her career.
3) Jankovic is going for the equal-biggest title of her career.
The biggest of Jankovic's 13 WTA titles came at the Premier Mandatory level - she won right here at Indian Wells in 2010. If she wins again here, it would be the equal-biggest title of her career.
4) Halep will be the frontrunner for Singapore if she wins the title.
By reaching the final here, Halep has overtaken Maria Sharapova for No.2 on the Road To Singapore leaderboard. If she wins the title, she will pass Serena Williams for No.1 on the leaderboard.
5) Singapore could be in sight for Jankovic too.
If Jankovic wins this title, she could move into the Top 8 on the Road To Singapore leaderboard. She's no stranger to the WTA Finals - she's played it five times, reaching the semifinals three times.
6) Jankovic has completely revived her year - and career - this fortnight.
Ranked as high as No.6 less than a year ago, a series of injuries has seen Jankovic fall to No.21 as of this fortnight - but this run will send her right back into the Top 20 on the new WTA Rankings.
7) It hasn't been that long since Jankovic's last win over a Top 3 player...
Despite her injury struggles the last 12 months, you don't have to go too far back to find Jankovic's last win over a Top 3 player - she beat then-World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska at Rome last May.
8) Halep could be the third player to reach 20 match wins this year.
If Halep beats Jankovic, it will be her 20th WTA-level match win of the year. Only two other players have reached 20 this year - WTA Rising Star Karolina Pliskova (20) and Timea Bacsinszky (21).
9) Jankovic has had to come back from behind in almost every match here.
Jankovic had to dig out her first three matches here, all against WTA Rising Stars - a set down to Lauren Davis, 3-1 down in the third set to Madison Keys, and then again 3-1 down in the third set to Belinda Bencic. She was also down a set and a break against Sabine Lisicki in the semifinals.
10) Find out where you can watch the final live on WTA TV developed by Xerox!
