In 2015, Taylor Fritz captured the Easter Bowl Boys’ ITF singles title on his way to the No. 1 junior ranking in the world. On Sunday he won his first Masters 1000 event the BNP Paribas Open at the same venue, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Dave Kenas/Easter Bowl
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (March 22, 2022) – The FILA Easter Bowl returns to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the 54th edition of one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious junior tennis tournaments.
Nearly every singles American men’s and women’s Grand Slam champion has competed in the FILA Easter Bowl, a true pipeline to the professional ranks, including past champions John McEnroe, Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. The FILA Easter Bowl 18s division is an ITF Level JB1 and the USTA Spring National Championship in the 16s, 14s and 12s for both boys and girls with gold, silver and bronze balls handed out for top finishers in all eight divisions.
On Sunday, 2015 Easter Bowl Boys’ ITF singles champion Taylor Fritz completed his memorable run to capture his hometown BNP Paribas Open title against all-time great Rafael Nadal just steps away from where Coachella Valley tennis fans first caught a glimpse of the American star now ranked No. 13 in the world.
This year’s girls’ field is highlighted by 2019 USTA Girls’ 16s National Hardcourts singles champion Reese Brantmeier, who is currently ranked No. 536 in the singles WTA rankings. The 17-year-old Brantmeier from Whitewater, Wisc., won two rounds in qualifying at the US Open in September. She qualified and beat top-seeded Allie Kiick before falling in the quarterfinals at a USTA Pro Circuit $25,000 event in Vero Beach, Fla., in January.
Out to defend the FILA Easter Bowl title she won last spring as an unknown qualifier is 16-year-old high school sophomore Liv Hovde. Hovde is originally from Minnesota and moved with her family to McKinney, Texas, around age 10 to train with former Australian Grand Slam champion Phil Dent and his son Taylor and wife Jenny at the Dent Tennis Academy in Keller, Texas. Last year, Hovde won nine matches in nine days on her way to the title. She is ranked No. 8 in the ITF world singles rankings.
Last year’s boys’ ITF finalist Ethan Quinn, currently a redshirt freshman at the University of Georgia, is entered in the FILA Easter Bowl and is ranked No. 20 in the ITF world junior rankings. Just last weekend Quinn qualified for the USTA Pro Circuit $25,000 Futures and advanced all the way to the semifinals. He will contend with the likes of 16-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy from Carmel, Ind. Basavareddy (No. 24). Cooper Williams from Greenwich, Conn., sits right behind Basavareddy in the rankings at No. 25 and will be seeded, as will Nicholas Godsick (No. 30) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and Michael Zheng (No. 31) from Montville, N.J.
This year, the winner of the boys’ and girls’ 14s singles titles at the FILA Easter Bowl will be awarded spots in Wimbledon’s inaugural 14&U Championships.
In the girls’ 16s top-seeded players include: Stephanie Yakoff from New Jersey and headed to Harvard University; draw also includes Amber Yin of Missouri and Brooke Lynn Schafer from Georgia.
In the girls’ 14s top-seeded players include: Capucine Jauffret from Delaware; draw also includes Emerey Gross from St. Louis, Mo., Elizabeth Fauchet from Tennessee.
In the girls’ 12s top-seeded players include: Sephi Sheng from Palo Alto, Calif., Akanksha Parahsar from Fremont, Calif., and Welles Newman from Boca Raton, Fla.
In the boys’ 16 stop-seeded players include: Andrew Ena from New York, Stephan Gershfeld from New York and Cyrus Mahjoob from Maryland.
In the boys’ 14s top-seeded players include: Ronit Karki of New Jersey, Jon Gamble from Las Vegas and Laguna Niguel’s Jagger Leach.
In the boys’ 12s top-seeded players include: Izyan Ahmad from New Jersey, Jordan Lee from Orlando, Fla., and Vihann Reedy from San Jose, Calif.
With the exception of the Williams sisters, nearly every American male and female player in the current Top 100 world rankings has played the FILA Easter Bowl at the current site of the BNP Paribas Open, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, including Fritz, Sofia Kenin, Sebastian Korda, Jenson Brooksby, Frances Tiafoe, Coco Gauff, and Brandon Nakashima, just to name a few. The iconic junior tournament started by Seena Hamilton in 1968 and now led by Tournament Chairman Lornie Kuhle. The FILA Easter Bowl has long been considered the Super Bowl of junior tennis. No other junior tennis tournament in the United States possesses the same rich history as the FILA Easter Bowl. The tournament was started in New York City and has been played in Florida, Arizona and California.
To keep up with all the FILA Easter Bowl news, visit the website at www.easterbowl.com and check out the tournament on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EasterBowl) and Twitter (@easterbowl) and Instagram (@easterbowl).
The FILA Easter Bowl will be live streamed at www.easterbowl.com. Check that site for all the latest news, results and schedules.
OPINION: As Much as Anything, COVID-19 Threatens Fan Experiences at 2020 Tournaments Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic
The BNP Paribas Open today announced measures to cope with the somewhat-sensationalized threat of the spread of the latest coronavirus infecting humans and destroying retirement accounts. Among them are guaranteed refunds, hand sanitizing stations, no one but players touching their own towels, gloved ball people, and this one: “Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament.”
For those of us who haven’t been frightened to death by round-the-clock coverage of this flu, this news will be a setback for fans planning to attend. In the midst of the current occupant of the White House running the country into the ground and other bad news on television every night, I know I’ve been plowing into sports as a refuge and I suspect there are millions more like me.
Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, is the host of the early rounds of the NCAA Division III basketball tournament. They made news yesterday by announcing that their games would be played without fans. If Baltimore was Beijing and if Indian Wells were instead Wuhan, I’d understand the drastic measures.
I suspect that the term “organized player and fan interaction” means more than a couple of autograph sessions. It is highly likely that the policy will curtail post-match, spontaneous “player and fan interaction” as well. Security guards love to boss around the teeming tennis masses as they ask for a selfie, and this will give the muscle another opportunity to exercise their snooty dominion over spectators and players. All of this portends for a poorer fan experience at the tournament, and the possibility that subsequent cities on the American mini-swing such as Miami and Charleston, will be forced to follow suit to prevent them being seen as insufficiently prepared.
If the measures taken at the Tennis Garden are in fact, in place to protect players, then why wouldn’t the sport already limit player/fan interactions? Illness to a player, even for a week, can potentially cost them hundreds of thousand of dollars in lost income. Influenza A is far more common than COVID-19, and if a fan sneezes on a player while requesting an autograph, the results could be equally problematic.
I can only hope that this will be the last time these policies are put in place at a professional sporting event in 2020. For those who have died from or contracted COVID-19 or any form of influenza, I feel great sorrow. This, though, seems to be going too far and will cause unnecessary anxiety on the most vulnerable of groups: children and the elderly. Let’s hope the only hysteria we are left with by the end of 2020 is directed on court on a rising star, like Coco Gauff, Bianca Andreescu or Leylah Fernandez.
The tournament’s full statement is below:
“Following the direction and guidance of Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, and Martin Massiello, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Eisenhower Health, the BNP Paribas Open is taking action to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the fans, athletes, and everyone involved with the tournament.
First and foremost, any patron who has purchased tickets directly from the tournament may request a refund for the 2020 tournament, or a credit for the 2021 tournament. Patrons can visit http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus to request a refund or credit.
Additional actions include:
More than 250 hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the facility
Players will be required to manage their own towel on court and ball kids will not touch or move player towels.
A chair will be placed at the back of the court for them to place their towel on for usage during the match.
Ball kids will wear gloves
Restaurant and food supply workers will wear gloves
Volunteers taking tickets at entrances will wear gloves
N95 masks are being secured for first aid and health personnel to be prepared for any circumstances that would necessitate the use thereof
Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament
All common areas throughout the facility will be cleaned daily with an antiviral application
Coordinating with local hospital and CDC approved testing for all individuals with symptoms
Further actions are being considered and evaluated on a daily basis in order to continue to ensure the safety of everyone associated with the event.”
Roger Federer made it to 17-0 but the 18th match of his 2018 season saw Juan Martin Del Potro topple him 6-4 6-7 7-6 to claim the title at the Indian Wells Masters tournament for 2018. Del Potro saved three match points all in the third set when down a break 5-4, and staved off a Federer comeback despite not being able to close out the match in straight sets. It was quite a battle, and Federer was left frustrated, but Del Potro’s power had the upper hand in the end. Del Potro now has 2 titles this season and boasts a 17-3 record in 2018. Federer is 17-1.
Del Potro’s path to the final featured wins against Alex De Minaur, David Ferrer, Leonardo Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Milos Raonic, with the round of 16 and quarterfinal victories coming in three sets. Federer dominated Federico Delbonis, Filip Krajinovic, Jeremy Chardy, and Hyeon Chung before facing a challenging test in the semis against Borna Coric. Federer fought off a back strain, and Coric’s strong start to come out ahead in the end. Coric, a young gun, just couldn’t step up with the match on the line.
John Isner/Jack Sock defeated the Bryan Brothers in an All-American doubles final.
2018 ATP Indian Wells Preview and Predictions: It’s Roger Federer’s Title to Lose Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The 2018 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells starts off the ATP Masters 1000 season. Roger Federer is the top seed and a heavy favorite. Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori feature in the field, coming back from injuries. Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, and Marin Cilic round out the top 4 seeds. Here is your full preview, with predictions.
Federer’s Quarter
The defending champion Roger Federer should face American Ryan Harrison in round 2 (Harrison beating Federico Delbonis round 1). Look for Federer to continue his undefeated season into round 4, as Filip Krajinovic/Benoit Paire/Mitch Krueger should prove no trouble in round 3.
Adrian Mannarino and Fabio Fognini look set to clash in the third round.Mannarino should beat Marius Copil or Peter Polansky, while Fognini should have the edge against Julien Benneteau/Jeremy Chardy. I’ll back Mannarino on a hard court to reach round 4.
Hyeon Chung has put together a solid 2018 and I’ll back the young Korean to defeat Lukas Lacko/Dusan Lajovic, and then Tomas Berdych in round 3. Berdych will face Ivo Karlovic/Max Marterer in round 2, Chung is playing better than the veteran Czech this year.
Some of tennis rising stars are in section #4 of the draw. Dominic Thiem should face Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas in round 2, while Denis Shapovalov will face Ricardas Berankis, then Pablo Cuevas. Thiem is the strongest in the section and should beat Shapovalov in round 3.
Grigor Dimitrov has an outside shot at taking the IW title. The Bulgarian will face a tricky test in Fernando Verdasco in round 2 (or Guido Pella), with Russia’s Andrey Rublev likely in round 3. These matches should challenge Dimitrov but he should prevail. Rublev faces Reilly Opelka/Taylor Fritz in round 2.
Roberto Bautista Agut won Dubai and should ease past Jared Donaldson/Evan King, and then Borna Coric in the third round. Coric has a relatively smooth path of Donald Young and Albert Ramos to reach round 3.
A struggling Pablo Carreno Busta faces Horacio Zeballos or Yuichi Sugita in round 2. I’ll back Sugita in an upset. Nick Kyrgios should benefit, presuming he can defeat Steve Johnson/Daniil Medvedev in round 2. Kyrgios over Sugita is my pick for the section.
The red hot Kevin Anderson looks set to defeat Karen Khachanov/Evgeny Donskoy, and then Damir Dzumhur (or Jiri Vesely/Nicolas Kicker) to reach the round of 16.
Zverev’s Quarter
With both Feliciano Lopez and Jack Sock in mediocre form, Frances Tiafoe should benefit. The Delray champ opens with Ernesto Escobedo, Lopez will follow, with Sock likely in round 3 (presuming Sock beats Thomas Fabbiano/Bradley Klahn in round 2). I’ll back the rising Tiafoe to post a great result.
Lucas Pouille has been fantastic in 2018, he’ll face his countryman Nicolas Mahut or Yuki Bhambri before most likely facing California’s Sam Querrey in round 3. Querrey has struggled in 2018 and has Mikhail Kukushkin/Mischa Zverev first up. I’ll go with Pouille over Querrey in round 3.
Diego Schwartzman and Peter Gojowczyk both posted solid results in recent weeks. Gojo should defeat Denis Istomin then upset Kyle Edmund in round 2. Edmund has not played since being injured in Australia. Schwartzman is my pick over Marcos Baghdatis/Yoshihito Nishioka. I’ll back Schwartzman over Gojowczyk in round 3.
Alexander Zverev opens with Mikhail Youzhny/Joao Sousa, Zverev is a heavy favorite in his section as Milos Raonic has struggled this year and neither Felix Auger-aliassime nor Vasek Pospisil are playing super well right now either. Zverev over Raonic is the pick.
Veterans David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro could face off in round 3. A struggling Ferrer will need to grind past Tennys Sandgren/Nikoloz Basilashvili in round 2. Del Potro must defeat J.L. Struff or Alex De Minaur. Del Potro will be the heavy favorite to reach round 4.
Kei Nishikori will be a heavy favorite against Leonardo Mayer/Victor Estrella, and then he should run into Novak Djokovic. Djokovic returns from injury against Cam Norrie or Taro Daniel. Nishikori is a tougher test and I don’t trust Novak’s fitness right now. Accordingly, I’ll go with Nishikori over Djokovic.
Gael Monfils opens with Matt Ebden, he should win that and defeat a struggling John Isner to reach round 3. The Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Gilles Simon winner should be favored against a struggling Gilles Muller. Monfils over Simon is my pick in round 3.
Tim Smyczek or Laslo Djere will be first up for Philipp Kohlschreiber. Marin Cilic faces Viktor Troicki/Marton Fucsovics in his first match. Cilic over Kohlschreiber is the most realistic outcome in this section.
Round of 16 Federer d. Mannarino
Thiem d. Chung
Bautista Agut d. Dimitrov
Anderson d. Kyrgios
Pouille d. Tiafoe
Zverev d. Schwartzman
Del Potro d. Nishikori
Cilic d. Monfils
Federer Claims First Indian Wells Title Since 2012 Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
Roger Federer continued his magical comeback season and all but locked down comeback player of the year by March with a 6-4 7-5 victory over Stan Wawrinka in the 2017 Indian Wells Masters 1000 final. Federer has five career Indian Wells titles now, having claimed his first since the 2012 edition of the tournament, and adds the title to his trophy case for 2017 along with the Australian Open in Melbourne.
In a battle between two Swiss legends, who also happen to be the last two Slam champions, Federer had the upper hand early, and maintained a high level throughout the match. Wawrinka had an early break in the second set, and hung tight the whole way, but Federer was in control after going up a set and getting it back on serve in the second. Rather than being pushed into a potentially surprising second tiebreak, Federer pushed hard late to finish the match off and put his friend Wawrinka away. The result matches the general course of their rivalry, as Wawrinka, despite his own accomplishments, has always been in Federer’s shadow.
In a tournament that saw Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray make early exits, and end up injured. Federer was the star of the show by the end of the week. He didn’t drop a set in the California desert, claiming wins over Stephane Robert and Steve Johnson before dominating Rafael Nadal with strong backhand play, and then easing past Jack Sock in the semis, after Nick Kyrgios gave him a walkover due to stomach problems. It was still a good tournament for Sock as he claimed big wins over Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori, having cemented himself firmly as the American #1, and a possible candidate for top 10 status and the year end World Tour Finals.
Wawrinka started his journey with routine wins over Paolo Lorenzi and Philipp Kohlschreiber. He was a break down twice in the final set against Yoshihito Nishioka in round 3, but the upset minded Japanese ran out of gas and choked under pressure. After surviving that test, Wawrinka slipped past Dominic Thiem in a third set tiebreak, and then had an easier time against surprise semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta. PCB gets a ton of points for making the semis, but his path didn’t feature a top 25 victory, thus this surprise result is a bit of a mirage.
Veterans Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram put away Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in an all-veteran battle to take home the doubles title in the desert. The first Masters tournament of 2017 going down as a resounding success.
2017 ATP Indian Wells Preview and Predictions Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The early part of the 2017 ATP World Tour season has drawn battle lines for the first Masters 1000 tournament this year. The ATP World Tour’s best (and the WTA’s best) have once again returned to the California desert for one of the biggest tournaments of the season. Veterans, young guns, and everyone in between will face off in the coming week, and here is your look at the action to come.
BNP Paribas Open
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
Indian Wells, CA, USA
March 9-19, 2017
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $6,993,450
Top 8 seeds (ATP Rankings in parentheses) (32 seeds get first round byes)
1: Andy Murray (1)
2: Novak Djokovic (2)
3: Stan Wawrinka (3)
4: Kei Nishikori (5)
5: Rafael Nadal (6)
6: Marin Cilic (7)
7: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8)
8: Dominic Thiem (9)
Defending finalist Milos Raonic is missing, also notably absent from the first Masters 1000 of the year is Spanish veteran David Ferrer and French veterans Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon.
First round matches to watch:
Damir Dzumhur vs. Ryan Harrison
Twice an ATP quarterfinalist this season, Bosnia’s best player Dzumhur is rounding into form, but his run in IW is likely to end early because he drew the red hot Ryan Harrison in the opening round. More experienced, and more focused than ever, Harrison claimed an ATP title in Memphis and is relying on an effective forehand and aggressive tennis to win matches. He’s been playing well stateside and with the crowd behind him he should win this intriguing match.
Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. Viktor Troicki
Troicki is 3-0 in the h2h against Dolgopolov but he’s lost three straight matches, while Dolgopolov won an ATP title on clay not that long ago. Both players can make some fantastic shots, and both focus and fitness will be a factor in this one. Dolgopolov has more upside here, but a steadier Troicki should have a slight edge.
Benoit Paire vs. (WC)Taylor Fritz
Benoit Paire enters IW on a four match losing streak. He has the talent to turn things around and make a run, but he may be sapped of confidence, giving young American Taylor Fritz a chance at a solid tour victory in this one. Fritz has struggled early in 2017, but Paire’s one dimensional game may result in a chance for him to find some momentum and kick start his season. With the fans behind him, as I have Fritz posting the win.
Murray’s Quarter
Andy Murray is world #1, but he has a relatively poor record in Indian Wells, particular compared to the other Masters tournaments. The British hero should make quick work of qualifier Vasek Pospisil or Rendy Lu though, and also defeat either Frances Tiafoe/Dusan Lajovic or a struggling Feliciano Lopez in the third round. The young Tiafoe has a great shot at the third round given that Lajovic isn’t an elite player and Lopez has lost three straight. Pospisil should beat Lu.
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut should be good enough to defeat Adrian Mannarino/Juan Monaco, and also big server Reilly Opelka in round 3. Standing in the American wild card’s path to the third round is qualifier Peter Gojowczyk, and seed Pablo Carreno Busta, who much prefers clay. If he plays his best, particularly on serve, Opelka is a threat in this draw, and only RBA’s rock solid return game should stop him.
David Goffin and Ryan Harrison should face off in a big third round match. Harrison needs only to defeat Dzumhur and dirtballer Albert Ramos, while Goffin will face Russian young gun Karen Khachanov or veteran Tommy Robredo. Twice an ATP finalist this season, Goffin should ease past a struggling Khachanov, but in the third round I’ll take Harrison in an upset given the momentum behind RH right now.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga can’t complain about his path to the late stages of the tournament. Neither Konstantin Kravchuk or Fabio Fognini are much of a threat right now, and the toughest hard court player in his section is the unseeded Martin Klizan, a streaky ball basher. Also here are dirtballers Thiago Monteiro and Pablo Cuevas. After capturing two titles this season, Tsonga has his sights set on Masters success, and he should ease past Klizan to reach the round of 16.
Wawrinka’s Quarter
Stan Wawrinka crashed out of Dubai, and his section features Dubai semifinalist Robin Haase in round 2 (presuming Haase beats clay courter Paolo Lorenzi), with either Philipp Kohlschreiber or Troicki/Dolgopolov looming in round 3. Despite playing poorly in Dubai and having just one match since Australia, Wawrinka is still good enough to make a run in IW if his backhand finds its groove. I have Kohlschreiber beating Troicki before falling to Wawrinka in round 3. Haase is also an interesting dark horse here but he’s been unable to string together weeks of great tennis consistently in his career.
Tomas Berdych also hasn’t posted great results this season, but with Bernard Tomic reeling after losing four straight, and the big serving Ivo Karlovic the only other major threat to his early chances, the Czech veteran should reach the round of 16. I have Tomic falling to American Bjorn Fratangelo in round 1, Karlovic should beat Acapulco quarterfinalist Yoshihito Nishioka or Elias Ymer, both of whom came from qualifying. With Karlovic struggling as well, Berdych should beat him in round 3.
Fan favorite Gael Monfils and American favorite John Isner should square off in round 3, but first Monfils will need to defeat the in-form qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, or qualifier Darian King. Isner will need to defeat Jordan Thompson or fading veteran Dmitry Tursunov. Isner has not had a good season, and although he should beat Thompson, Monfils is a clear favorite to reach the round of 16. Watch out for Memphis finalist Basilashvili here as well.
Young Dominic Thiem has a section he should dominate. Neither Jeremy Chardy or qualifier Radu Albot are playing well enough to threaten him in round 2. The seed Mischa Zverev has been in awful form since Australia, and both Joao Sousa and Diego Schwartzman are transitioning from clay. Thiem should defeat Chardy and Sousa to reach the round of 16.
Nishikori’s Quarter
Despite a potentially tricky path, Japanese #1 Kei Nishikori should reach at least the last 16. Nishikori will face Dan Evans or Dustin Brown, with big server Gilles Muller likely to follow, presuming Muller defeats Renzo Olivo/Jiri Vesely. Evans has been poor the last few weeks, and while Nishikori is not in form, he should be able to find some form and beat Evans and Muller.
Acapulco champion Sam Querrey is in great form right now, but will face the pressure of backing up his run down in Mexico against an American in round 2, either Stefan Kozlov or Donald Young. Lucas Pouille will face Santiago Giraldo or J.L. Struff for a spot in the third round opposite Querrey. Querrey served well in Acapulco and he’s never lost to Young (2-0 h2h). He should beat the x2 semifinalist in 2017, Young, then I have him defeating an in-form Lucas Pouille, after Pouille beats Struff.
One of the best matches of the tournament should be a third round clash between Grigor Dimitrov and Jack Sock. Both fan favorites, they are in excellent form, playing the best tennis of their careers, and only Borna Coric/Henri Laaksonen, and Daniil Medvedev/Mikhail Youzhny stand in their way. Dimitrov should defeat Medvedev, Sock should defeat Coric, and then their 17-2 and 12-2 tour records this season respectively should go head to head. Sock has a 2-1 h2h edge, but I feel Dimitrov is narrowly the better player in this one.
After reaching the semis in Acapulco, Marin Cilic has an easy path to the round of 16. Cilic needs only to defeat Fritz/Paire, and one of Malek Jaziri/Nicolas Mahut/Marcel Granollers to make it to that fourth round stage. I have Cilic beating Fritz and Jaziri in his first two matches. Granollers has had a poor season and Mahut is not playing great right now.
Djokovic’s Quarter
Novak Djokovic already has two losses on the season, but he’s still bidding for a fourth straight and sixth overall IW title. Djokovic has not been at the top of his game this season, which could create opportunity for Juan Martin Del Potro in round 3, presuming JMDP puts away either a struggling Andrey Kuznetsov or countryman Federico Delbonis. Even with Djokovic’s outlook in question, Del Potro lost a three setter to him in Acapulco, and although I expect them to battle, Djokovic should again have the upper hand.
This quarter of the draw is by far the best. Young guns Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev should have a big third round clash, as long as Zverev finishes off qualifier Julien Benneteau or Facundo Bagnis, and Kyrgios defeats qualifier Marius Copil or Horacio Zeballos. Kyrgios has two semifinals this season, and a win over Djokovic. Zverev has a tour title this season. Having never met at the ATP or Challenger tour level before, it’s hard to predict the winner. However on hard courts I have Kyrgios beating Copil and Zverev, after Zverev beats Benneteau.
Roger Federer suffered a stunning Dubai early defeat, but the four time IW champion has a relatively easy path to the round of 16 as long as Steve Johnson doesn’t pull a monumental upset. Federer will face over 30 straggler Dudi Sela, or 36 year old journeyman Stephane Robert in round 2, while Johnson will likely draw Kevin Anderson, looking for his first win back from injury against qualifier Federico Gaio. Johnson has been a model of consistency at reaching quarterfinals or semifinals this season, but his upside is less than Federer who hits forehand and serves better, both of Johnson’s strengths.
Acapulco finalist Rafael Nadal and Dubai finalist Fernando Verdasco are set to clash in round 3, renewing their rivalry. Nadal needs only to defeat another Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, or Argentine Guido Pella in round 2. Verdasco should draw serve and volleyer Pierre-Hugues Herbert, presuming Herbert defeats a struggling Thomaz Bellucci. Verdasco has the game to beat Nadal, but Nadal has had a great hard court season thus far, and I would not want to face him right now. A three-time champion in Indian Wells, Nadal has a shot at making it four, and should reach the round of 16 to keep his hopes alive.
Dark Horses: Ryan Harrison, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Sam Querrey, Juan Martin Del Potro
I have Harrison upsetting Goffin to reach the round of 16, he’ll have a shot against Tsonga as well, having found renewed focus and belief in his tennis. Basilashvili has it tough against Monfils but if he wins that match the quarterfinals will be within his sights. Querrey has to beat Young and Pouille just to reach the last 16, and Nishikori is tough at that point, but the California boy can pull it off. Del Potro also has a difficult draw with Djokovic and Kyrgios/Zverev back to back. The former slam champion certainly has the shots to win those matches though.
Predictions
Round of 16 Murray d. Bautista Agut
Tsonga d. Harrison
Wawrinka d. Berdych
Thiem d. Monfils
Dimitrov d. Cilic
Querrey d. Nishikori
Nadal d. Federer
Djokovic d. Kyrgios
The Men’s quarterfinalists in the top half should stay true to form, as Murray and Tsonga have clear edges in their matches. Wawrinka has dominated Berdych in recent years, and Thiem leads Monfils 2-0 in the h2h.
Cilic has a 3-1 edge on Dimitrov but I can’t go against the Bulgarian’s form. Querrey has four wins against Nishikori, and form actually favors him right now. Nadal, even on a hard court, should have a narrow edge against Federer, their AO final aside, Nadal has consistently been at a higher level this season. Djokovic lost to Kyrgios in Acapulco, but he’s more likely to get revenge than Kyrgios is at winning twice in a row against an elite player.
Quarters Murray d. Tsonga
Thiem d. Wawrinka
Dimitrov d. Querrey
Nadal d. Djokovic
Murray has won five straight meetings against Tsonga, Wawrinka has a 2- h2h against Thiem, but Thiem is playing better right now in the battle of one-handed backhands. Dimitrov has never lost to Querrey (2-0), and despite not having defeated Djokovic on a hard court since 2013, Nadal has simply been better than the Serbian superstar this season. Indian Wells isn’t the fastest court in the world, and that gives Nadal a better shot than at some venues. I’ll call the upset.
Semis Murray d. Thiem
Nadal d. Dimitrov
Murray and Nadal have dominated Thiem and Dimitrov respectively, and although it would be nice to get someone over than the big four in a Masters final, it all likelihood a mix of Murray, Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer will make-up the 2017 IW final.
Final Murray d. Nadal
Despite a substantive h2h edge for Nadal, Murray is the best player in the world right now, especially on hard courts. He has his struggles, but overall Murray is simply better than Nadal, Djokovic, Wawrinka, Nishikori, and Federer right now. Now is as good a time as any for him to win his first IW title.
2017 Indian Wells Women’s Preview, Predictions Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic
The BNP Paribas Open was set to be a battle for the world number one spot between Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams, but Serena’s withdrawal means that the German is now the new world number one. That does not take anything away from what should be an exciting tournament, and we have your run down of the draw.
Top Quarter:
Serena’s withdrawal means Karolina Pliskova is not the second seed. Like the others seeds, the Czech has a bye in the opening round and will kick off her tournament in the second. There are some tough matches ahead for Pliskova, including Monica Puig who she is due to face in the second round. Irina Begu is the first seed Pliskova will face with Timea Bacsinszky being the projected fourth round opponent. The Swiss has Kiki Bertens in her section, but she has a tough second match against the winner of Tsvetana Pironkova and Belinda Bencic. There are many threats to the second seed in her section, and while it will not be a shocker if she is upset in the early rounds, Pliskova should have too much quality and make it to the last eight. Garbine Muguruza is out of form and has recently been injured, so her Indian Wells ambitions may be lower than usual. The Spaniard should be able to make round three where she is due to face the dangerous Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The uncertainty surrounding the seventh seed means that Elina Svitolina will be the favourite to make it to the last eight In this section. The Ukrainian has a good draw, too, with Daria Gavrilova being the only player that can cause an upset before the fourth round.
Pliskova and Svitolina will likely meet in the quarter finals for the sixth time, and the stats favour the Czech. Pliskova has won all five meetings, and it is difficult to see past her here. Prediction: Pliskova def. Svitolina Second Quarter: Dominika Cibulkova has been bumped to fourth seed as she eyes another big title. The Slovak will be favourite to make the final four from this quarter, but she has a tough draw ahead, starting with the winner of Jelena Ostapenko vs Danka Kovinic. The highly touted Russian, Daria Kasatkina, will look to spring another upset when she faces Cibulkova in round three, with the winner possibly going on to meet Barbora Strycova in round four. The Czech could face Sara Errani, who she has previously struggled against in the second round and then Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in round three, so an upset is not out of the question. Svetlana Kuznetsova is the other top eight seed in the section, but the ever unpredictable Russian’s tournament is once again hard to call. Kuznetsova should be OK to make round four with Camila Giorgi and Roberta Vinci being her likely opponents in rounds two and three. Johanna Konta is back in action after recent injury issues, and due to her recent inactivity it is hard to call how well she will do here. She could face fellow Brit Heather Watson in round two before being scheduled against the out of form Caroline Garcia in round three. The Frenchwoman’s struggles could leave the door open for Christina McHale to make the third round. Konta should make it through to round four, but may find Kuznetsova too much.
Cibulkova leads the head to head 6-3 against the Russian, but this match-up will largely depend on form. Cibulkova will be the favourite, but the slow courts may favour Kuznetsova and I am feeling a good run for the former grand slam champion.
Prediction: Kuznetsova def. Cibulkova
Third Quarter: Madison Keys returns to action this week after missing the start of the season with injury. The American is the eighth seed here and will be keen to make an impression, but don’t expect too much in her first tournament back. Keys has a good opener against a qualifier to get her rhythm back, but from there is gets tricky. The American’s likely exit will be at the hands of Caroline Wozniacki in round four. The Dane is in good form and should be comfortable until her round three match with Carla Suarez Navarro. It is hard to look past Wozniacki due to her good start to the season and Keys being rusty after a long layoff. Simona Halep’s season has yet to really get going, so the fourth seed will be looking to use this tournament to get into form. The Romanian opens against Alison Riske or Donna Vekic before facing the in-form Kristina Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman has had a positive start to 2017 and could spring an upset against an out of form Halep. Mladenovic is not terribly reliable though, and I see Halep outlasting the 28 seed.
With form being on Wozniacki’s side, I see the Dane making the last eight at Halep’s expense. If the fourth seed can play her way into form, then she will likely make it to the semis, but it is hard to make that call. Prediction: Wozniacki def. Halep
Fourth Quarter:
Kerber comes into Indian Wells safe with the knowledge that she is the world number one, and that must take some pressure off. The German has a good draw to the quarter finals with a lot of the dangerous seeds being in the other half of the draw. She opens against Andrea Petkovic or Vania king with Yulia Putintseva being the first seed projected. Elena Vesnina’s form is not the best, so she could exit early at the hands of Shelby Rogers or Timea Babos. Either way, it is difficult to see past Kerber making the last eight. Agnieszka Radwanska needs to find form, and Indian Wells is a perfect place to do so. The Pole has some tough players ahead of her however, so it will be interesting to see if she can get past Ekaterina Makarova in round two and promising youngster Ana Konjuh in round three. From there she will likely face an American. Coco Vandeweghe and Venus Williams are projected to meet in round three, but I think Radwanska will scrape through to the last eight.
Kerber vs Radwanska will be a big match for both players as they search for form. Kerber will have the advantage though and I am picking the German to make the last four.
Prediction: Pliskova def. Strycova
Kerber’s form at the moment makes it so difficult to predict her matches, but this time the German should turn it around and make the final. Pliskova is a favourite against Kuznetsova, but the Russian can play well enough to win the whole thing. I see a good run on the horizon, so I predict a Kerber vs Kuznetsova final.
Final: Kerber def. Kuznetsova
Kuznetsova will have a great week in Indian Wells but ultimately fall short to the world number one who looks much better this time.
Novak Djokovic captured his third Indian Wells Masters title in a row, and his third ATP title this season with a 6-2 6-0 pummeling of Milos Raonic. A struggling Raonic, who appeared to be unwell, was playing in his second ATP final of the season and falls to 0-3 in Masters 1000 level finals.
Djokovic had some tough matches in the California desert, but the world #1 remains an unstoppable force when healthy and focused. Djokovic is 22-1 on the season, after wins over Bjorn Fratangelo, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Feliciano Lopez, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Rafael Nadal, along with Raonic this week. He looked listless after dropping the first set to Fratangelo, but he clawed back in that match as the young American tightened up, and he won a pair of tiebreaks over Tsonga. Nadal gave him a good runaround as well, but he was unable to match Djokovic’s level on key points.
Raonic is 14-2 this season, and shook off any injury concerns with wins over Inigo Cervantes, Bernard Tomic, Tomas Berdych, Gael Monfils, and David Goffin. Goffin reached his first ever Masters semifinal with close wins over Stan Wawrinka, and Marin Cilic. Both Wawrinka, and Andy Murray were disappointing in the bottom half of the draw as they exited the tournament early on. Murray dropping a shocking contest to Federico Delbonis. Both Djokovic, and Raonic are set to play a big part in the remaining Masters tournaments and Grand Slams this season.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beat Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock 6-3 7-6(5), as Canadians went 0-2 in Indian Wells finals today.
The attention in Indian Wells might be focused on the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. There is however another story which often goes untold, that is the story of the qualifiers.
48 players battled against each other for just 12 places in the main draw. The qualifying competition saw a series of shocks with the top two seeds, Yuichi Sugita and Austin Krajicek, failing to qualify for the main draw. Qualifying for the main draw is a big achievement for the lower ranked players on the tour but how did they fair on the main stage in the first Masters event of 2016?
Renzo Olivo continued his positive start to the season with a hard fought three sets win over Italy’s Salvatore Caruso followed by a much more impressive straight sets triumph over top seed Sugita at Indian Wells. The 23-year-old hasn’t won a title since 2012 but has enjoyed a reasonable start to this year. After qualifying for his maiden Grand Slam draw in Melbourne, where he defeated Jiri Vesely in the first round, the Argentine defeated Fernando Verdasco to reach the quarterfinals of the Ecuador Open. Playing in his maiden Masters main draw match in Indian Wells, Renzo faced experienced Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. He was no match for the world No.44, losing 6-2, 6-4.
Another surprise qualifier was France’s Vincent Millot. Prior to this week, the 30-year-old hasn’t played in the main draw of a Masters tournament since the 2011 Monte Carlo Masters. The world No.166 ended his Masters drought wins over wildcard Nicolas Meister followed by American second seed Krajicek. Millot fired seven aces and saved 3/3 break points to defeat the second seed 6-3, 6-4, to reach the main draw. The Frenchman continued his run in the main draw with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3, win over wildcard Mackenzie McDonald to grab his first ever win in the main draw of a Masters tournament. The Frenchman’s dream run was ended in the second round by seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga produced nine aces in his 7-5, 6-1, win over the world No.166.
Continuing the French delight was Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who was the highest seed to successfully reach the main draw in California. The top-20 doubles player eased through qualifying with a straight sets win over Benjamin Mitchell before coming through a more testing 6-3, 7-6(3), triumph over 14th seed Mischa Zverev. The run is not surprising considering the Frenchman’s start to the year. He achieved his best Grand Slam performance at the Australian Open by reaching the third round as a qualifier. He continued his promising form by winning the Bergamo Challenger in Italy last month.
Herbert’s first round opponent was another qualifier, Slovakia’s Jozef Kovalík. Kovalik reached the main draw after outlasting Ecuador’s Giovanni Lapentti 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, in a match that lasted over two hours. The first round match between the two qualifiers, which was their first meeting on the tour, saw a thrilling encounter. Kovalik had three opportunities to win the match in straight sets but failed to convert after being edged out 9-11 in the second set tiebreak. Despite the best efforts of the Frenchman, Kovalik held his nerve to clinch the victory 6-4, 6-7(9), 7-6(5). The Slovakian faced Austrian talent Dominic Thiem in the second round. Thiem has already won two ATP titles this year in Argentina and Mexico. Impressively Kovalik gave Thiem a tough match before going out 7-6(4), 7-6(3), in what was a very admirable performance from the world No.182.
Michael Berrer has happy memories of Indian Wells. Prior to this year’s tournament, the German has won four main draw matches at the event. The German has never won more than two main draw matches at any other Masters tournament in his career. Berrer continued his Indian Wells record with back-to-back wins over Jonathan Eysseric and 13th seed Andrey Rublev to book his placed in the main draw of the tournament for the sixth time in his career. Drawn against Juan Monaco in the first round, who is on the comeback from a wrist injury, the 35-year-old edged his way to a 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4, win. Berrer’s run came to an end in the second round after losing 6-2, 6-4, to 21st seed Jack Sock.
Peter Polansky’s use of a protected ranking to enter the qualifying draw paid off. Defeating Irish 22nd seed Jame McGee in the first round, he faced El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo. After dropping the opening set, the Canadian battled back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The 27-year-old has played 12 main draw matches at Masters tournaments in his career, losing nine of them. Unfortunately for Canadian fans his losing streak increased to ten after he suffered a straight sets defeat to Fernando Verdasco in the first round.
Marco Trungelliti’s 2016 continued on a positive note after he defeated 9th seed Edouard Roger Vasselin 7-6(4), 6-4, to reach his first Masters main draw. The 26-year-old already achieved a breakthrough earlier this year by winning his first grand slam main draw match against Kovalik. Facing Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov, he subsided 6-4, 6-4.
Regarding the American interest in the qualifying tournament, five home players successfully navigate their way to the main draw. Headlining them was Tim Smyczek, who had to fight his way past two talented American teenagers to progress to the main draw. After edging past Michael Mmoh 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-5, in the first round, he battled past French Open Boys’ champion Tommy Paul in another two-hour marathon. The reward for Smyczek was a first round match against former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, who is playing in only his second tournament since returning to the tour from injury. He was no match for the Argentine, crashing out 6-4, 6-0.
Ryan Harrison enjoyed a more straightforward route to the main draw. At the Indian Wells tournament in 2010, Harrison won his first main draw match in a Masters event against Taylor Dent. In the qualifying event at this year’s tournament, he cruised past Matthew Barton and Jason Jung in straight sets to reached the main draw for the seventh consecutive year. Since 2010, Harrison hasn’t lost in the first round and he continued that tradition with a 6-3,7-6(3), triumph over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. The second round saw a clash between him and tenth seed Marin Cilic, a player who he defeated two weeks ago at the Acapulco Open. Lightning failed to strike twice after Harrison succumbed 6-4, 6-3, to the Croat.
Alexander Sarkissian breezed past Sekou Bangoura in his opening qualifying match before experiencing a scare against Mitchell Krueger in the second round. The 25-year-old trailed 5-7, 0-2, before clawing his way back to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. In his first main draw match in a Masters tournament, the Californian-based player endured a nightmare after losing 6-2,6-0 to Josh Millman.
Bjorn Fratangelo dropped a total of nine games during his qualifying campaign. The 2011 French Open Boys’ champion eased his way past Joshua Milton before producing an impressive 6-3, 6-2, victory against Czech veteran and 15th seed Radek Stepanek. The next test was Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili, a player who reached the semifinals at the Sydney International earlier this year. Playing for a chance to grab his maiden main draw win on the ATP Tour, the American displayed some of his best tennis to clinch the victory 6-4, 6-4. His chance for a second ATP Tour match win seemed impossible with a second round encounter against world No.1 Novak Djokovic. As the odds mounted against him, Fratangelo stunned the tennis world when he took the first set against Djokovic after just 35 minutes of play. Becoming the fifth player this year to take a set off the world No.1, Frantangelo failed to claim one of the biggest shocks in Indian Wells history after Djokovic swiftly restored order to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Despite losing, the American recieved high praise from the ten-time Grand Slam champion.
“All credit to Bjorn on playing a great match, but I wasn’t feeling comfortable at all on the court,” Djokovic said after the match.
“I was just trying to find a way, trying to hang in there and make it through.”
“He deserved every point he got. He played a great match, especially in the first set.”
Finally, 2014 Wimbledon Boys’ champion, Noah Rubin, impressed many during his qualifying campaign. Facing Dennis Novikov for a place in the main draw, he eased his way past 7-5, 6-3. Rubin’s schedule leading up to the Masters tournament has been extremely diverse with him playing a Futures, Challenger and ATP 250 tournament. The tournament selection might seem a bit unauthorized but it has done wonders to the Americans confidence. Unfortunately for the young player, he was edged out in the first round by the much more experience Rajeev Ram, losing in two tiebreakers.
2016 ATP Indian Wells Preview and Predictions Steen Kirby, Tennis Atlantic
The 2016 ATP Masters series calendar kicks off with the joint ATP/WTA event in sunny Indian Wells, CA, with most of the world’s best players participating.
BNP Paribas Open
ATP World Tour Masters 1000*
Indian Wells, CA, USA
March 10-20, 2016
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $6,134,605
Top 8 seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses) (32 seeds receive first round byes)
1: Novak Djokovic (1)
2: Andy Murray (2)
3: Stan Wawrinka (4)
4: Rafael Nadal (5)
5: Kei Nishikori (6)
6: Tomas Berdych (7)
7: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (9)
8: Richard Gasquet (10)
Roger Federer, David Ferrer, Kevin Anderson, Marcos Baghdatis, and Fabio Fognini are among notable names missing from this Masters tournament.
Ernests Gulbis is ranked outside the top 70, but the big hitting Latvian can still have moments of greatness, and he has a 2-1 h2h edge over his first round opponent Garcia-Lopez. GGL has lost three straight matches, and really could use a win in this one, expect a competitive contest with Gulbis having a slight edge.
Vasek Pospisil vs. (WC)Jared Donaldson
It’s been a disappointing year thus far for young American Jared Donaldson. He has just three match wins, and no main draw wins through March. Vasek Pospisil has also had a miserable year with just two match wins all season (2-6 record). Pospisil has a big serve and he’s higher ranked, thus he’s the favorite, but both guys need spring renewal in Indian Wells.
Lukas Rosol vs. Adrian Mannarino
The big hitting Rosol is 3-1 against Mannarino on hard courts, and he’s had an inconsistent year thus far. Mannarino has a pair of ATP quarterfinals on his resume, but his game isn’t a great matchup against Rosol, and he’s likely the underdog in this style contrast.
A battle of teenagers, Tiafoe has a pair of challenger quarterfinals this year as he is working his way up on tour. Fritz has risen into the top 80 with an ATP final (Memphis) and a quarterfinal (Acapulco). Both have a bright future, and could be the two stars of American tennis within a few years, in this matchup though, Fritz is a clear favorite.
(Q)Tim Smyczek vs. (WC)Juan Martin Del Potro
Del Potro made a successful return to the ATP tour in Delray Beach, where he reached the semifinals. Smyczek qualified, and has a quarterfinal in Delray Beach as well. Del Potro is the better player, and should be the favorite, but Smyczek is a good form test for him, and his wrist.
Borna Coric vs. Lucas Pouille
Borna Coric hasn’t been in great form since he reached an ATP final at the start of the season. The young Croatian is a great talent though, and should be able to outpace Pouille and his powerful forehand. Pouille is seeking an ATP breakthrough in a big tournament like this, and he’ll take his chances in this match between young guns.
Delray Beach finalist Rajeev Ram will put his serve and volley game up against qualifier Noah Rubin. The young Rubin has a bright future, and American tennis fans should be sure to check out his game. He’s a bit of an underdog in this match, but it could go either way.
Top Half:
Djokovic’s quarter
Novak Djokovic had a tough time in Davis Cup play over the weekend, and retired with an eye infection at his last tournament in Dubai. With that said, when he’s healthy the world #1 is practically impossible to stop, as he’s proven at tournaments prior to Dubai over the past few months. Presuming good health, Djokovic should get past qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo, or a struggling Teymuraz Gabashvili before running into #27 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round. Kohlschreiber is 10-5 on the season and went 2-0 in Davis Cup action over the weekend. The veteran’s solid recent hard court form should give him an edge over Denis Kudla or Denis Istomin in round 2. Istomin hasn’t won a match this season, and Kudla has lost three straight. Djokovic is 4-0 against Kohli on hard courts and should advance to the fourth round.
#14 seed Roberto Bautista Agut is on track to face Djokovic in the 4th round. RBA is 16-4 on the season, and has been playing the tennis of his career. He’ll open with either Mikhail Youzhny or Aljaz Bedene, most likely the in-form Youzhny, with #18 seed Feliciano Lopez likely to follow. The Dubai semifinalist Lopez will face Gulbis/Garcia-Lopez round 2. Lopez won their only h2h meeting but given his recent form RBA has an edge.
#7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will face qualifier Vincent Millot, or wild card Mackenzie McDonald in his opening match. Tsonga has struggled as of late and he should be on upset alert against American Sam Querrey. The 28 year old is 11-4 on the tour this year with two ATP semifinals, and an ATP final in recent weeks. Querrey will be the favorite against Jiri Vesely or Thiemo De Bakker in his first match. Tsonga and Querrey are 1-1 in the h2h on hard courts.
#11 seed Dominic Thiem is set to face Querrey/Tsonga in the round of 16. Thiem has 2 ATP titles, and a 10-3 record this season. He’s making a push for a top 10 ranking at 22 years old, and will be a favorite against either Pierre- Hugues Herbert or Jozef Kovalik in round 2, both are qualifiers, with Herbert likely better on a hard court. #21 seed Jack Sock should defeat either qualifier Michael Berrer, or Juan Monaco. Thiem beat Sock last year in Miami, and he’ll be the favorite once more in round 3.
Nadal’s quarter
#4 seed Rafael Nadal is just 8-4 this year, and playing well below his usual lofty standards. With that said, he’s still a likely favorite against either Gilles Muller or Victor Estrella in round 2, with both players in poor form as of late. Nadal is likely to face Martin Klizan in round 3. The Rotterdam champion is a big hitter who has been in good form, and he should dispatch Fernando Verdasco in round 2. Verdasco opens with qualifier Peter Polansky. Klizan has a hard court win over Nadal, and Rafa should be on upset alert, but I still give him an edge to prevail due to his experience and fight.
A battle between the veteran Gilles Simon, and Grigor Dimitrov is likely to conspire in the third round for the right to face Nadal/Klizan. Dimitrov is likely to open with young gun Alexander Zverev, Zverev is rising fast with an ATP semifinal and quarterfinal this season. He opens with serve and volleyer Ivan Dodig. Dimitrov is a solid 12-5 on the season, and should get past that matchup to face Simon. Gilles hasn’t been great this year (4-5), but he should defeat Donaldson/Pospisil, as he just beat Pospisil in Davis Cup. Dimitrov was 0-4 against Simon until he beat him in Brisbane this year, and he should beat him again to reach the fourth round.
American #1 John Isner is set to have a good tournament on North American hard courts. The hard serving big man should defeat either Andreas Seppi or Donald Young to setup a third round match with Benoit Paire. Paire has two ATP semis this year but is wildly inconsistent. His first opponent will be Rosol or Mannarino. Paire and Rosol have met twice this year on hard courts, and split meetings. Isner is 1-0 against Paire on hard courts, and a better player on the surface.
#5 seed Kei Nishikori comes off a Davis Cup weekend to face either Mikhail Kukushkin or Daniel Munoz De La Nava first up. Kei is 11-4 on the season with 1 ATP title, he’s been slightly disappointing, but he should roll past Kukushkin and setup a third round match with Southern California native Steve Johnson. Johnson has struggled to a 3-6 record this year, but IW is his home tournament, and hard courts are his best surface. He should defeat Alexander Sarkissian or John Millman in round 2 as Millman hasn’t been in great form either. Nishikori is 3-0 against Johnson.
Bottom Half:
Murray’s Quarter
The British #1 opens with either Damir Dzumhur or Marcel Granollers. Andy Murray should handle that with ease, and also slip past Joao Sousa in the third round as he has a routine early draw. Sousa opens with Santiago Giraldo or Federico Delbonis as this section is full of players who prefer clay. Sousa is looking for his first ATP win since the Aussie open, where he lost to Murray in round 3.
Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios should setup a star studded third round matchup for the right to face Murray. Monfils opens with either Evgeny Donskoy or Pablo Carreno Busta, both of whom are well below his level, while Kyrgios will face either Hyeon Chung or Albert Ramos. Monfils has a lone h2h win over Kyrgios, and both are in great form (9-3 for Monfils, and 10-2 for Kyrgios). I give Monfils a slight edge to advance given Kyrgios has been struggling with back problems.
Aussie open semifinalist Milos Raonic returns from an injury to face either Nicolas Almagro or Inigo Cervantes in his first match. Raonic is a dangerous player on hard courts and already has an ATP title this year. If he stays aggressive, and doesn’t have too much rust he should do some damage in the draw and slide past Bernard Tomic in the third round. Tomic, the #17 seed, opens with Ram/Rubin, and should defeat most likely Ram once again. Raonic beat Tomic in Brisbane this year and should do so again if he’s fit.
Tomas Berdych opens with either Smyczek or Del Potro, and unless Del Potro is rapidly improving, the Czech should prevail. Berdych retired injured in Davis Cup play over the weekend, but if that was precautionary he should defeat Borna Coric or Thomaz Bellucci, most likely the young Coric in round 3. Bellucci is just 1-3 on hard courts this year. Berdych will be a heavy favorite against Coric if healthy.
Dubai champion Stan Wawrinka continues to be in the top tier of the men’s game. His gifted one hand backhand has won him many matches, and he should slip past either Dmitry Tursunov or Acapulco quarterfinalist Illya Marchenko, with Tursunov returning from injury. The 13-2 Wawrinka should face Jeremy Chardy in round 3, but I have Andrey Kuznetsov, an improving Russian player, defeating qualifier Marco Trungelliti, and Chardy to reach the third round. Kuznetsov beat Chardy at the Aussie Open this year and has two ATP quarterfinals to his name this season. Wawrinka should ease past Kuznetsov at that point.
David Goffin has a draw that he should be able to get to the fourth round in. Goffin opens with Fritz/Tiafoe, who could knock him off, but his third round match against one of Pablo Cuevas/Kyle Edmund/Guido Pella is an easy one. Cuevas isn’t a hard court player, but he’s been in great form as of late, and that should help him past Edmund, who has been stuck at the challenger level most of this year. Goffin is 8-4 on the year.
Richard Gasquet has his own chance to make noise at IW, but he’ll need to be fit and fresh to face his serve and volleying countryman Nicolas Mahut, or qualifier Renzo Olivo. Mahut can pull off upsets, but the real test will come for Gasquet in round 3 against Alexandr Dolgopolov, the #26 seed. Dolgopolov opens with Diego Schwartzman or Robin Haase, and he should ease into the third round. Gasquet leads the h2h with Dolgo 2-0, Dolgo has two quarterfinals and a semifinal on the ATP tour this year, but Gasquet has a title and a quarterfinal in his own right. It will be an exciting match, but I have the veteran Frenchman advancing.
Marin Cilic is the most likely opponent for Gasquet/Dolgopolov, Cilic opens with either qualifier Ryan Harrison or Dusan Lajovic. Cilic is a rather pedestrian 9-7 on the year, but hard courts are a favorable surface, and Harrison isn’t likely to pull the upset. Viktor Troicki or Leonardo Mayer will be his third round opponent. Mayer opens with a winless Sam Groth, while Troicki struggled in Davis Cup play but his 13-6 on the season and has played great for parts of this year. Troicki has won the last five meetings against Cilic, but Cilic won the first four and has been in better form.
Dark Horses (one for each quarter of the draw): Dominic Thiem, John Isner, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Juan Martin Del Potro
Thiem should beat Sock, and Tsonga/Querrey to reach the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic is the worst opponent one could have, but if he’s not 100% Thiem could pull an upset. I have Isner reaching the semis, he tends to do well on North American hard courts and a late round path of Paire, Nishikori, and Nadal/Dimitrov is a winnable one, with all of those players showing shaky form as of late.
Dolgopolov needs to upset Gasquet and Cilic to make a deep run, but it’s quite possible he could do sow with his shotmaking game. Del Potro has to face Berdych in round 2, and he’ll likely go down in defeat, but JMDP showed a strong forehand and great serve in Delray Beach, and if he continues to improve, he should be a force on tour in the months to come.
Round of 16 Djokovic d. Bautista Agut
Thiem d. Querrey
Nadal d. Dimitrov
Isner d. Nishikori
Gasquet d. Cilic
Wawrinka d. Goffin
Raonic d. Berdych
Murray d. Monfils
Djokovic is 3-0 against RBA, Thiem beat Querrey in Acapulco, Nadal is 7-0 against Dimitrov, and Isner has split meetings against Nishikori. Gasquet is 2-0 against Cilic, Wawrinka is 3-0 against Goffin, Raonic is 3-1 on hard courts against Berdych in what will be a competitive match, and Murray is 2-1 against Monfils on hard courts.
Quarters Djokovic d. Thiem
Isner d. Nadal
Wawrinka d. Gasquet
Murray d. Raonic
Djokovic has a h2h win over Thiem, Isner is 0-6 against Nadal, but with Rafa in decline, I have him earning his first win over the Spaniard. Wawrinka vs. Gasquet should be interesting with how great their backhands are, but Wawrinka should be slightly better. Murray has won his last three meetings against Raonic, who is returning from injury.
Semis Djokovic d. Isner
Murray d. Wawrinka
Djokovic has five straight wins over Wawrinka, Murray has lost his last three meetings against Wawrinka, but I have him defeating Stan due the fact he’s fitter and fresher most likely for Indian Wells tennis.
Final Djokovic d. Murray
Djokovic has had a clear edge over Murray as of late, Andy will have his chances, but this tournament is Novak’s to lose. The four time, and twice defending champion Novak should take title #5 in IW.
Tennis Atlantic 