Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev will start their BNP Paribas Open campaigns Friday when the seeded stars enter the motion on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion in Indian Wells.
Second seed Tsitsipas faces Australian Jordan Thompson within the second spherical, whereas Medvedev goals to increase his 14-match successful streak when he takes on American Brandon Nakashima. Ruud will meet Argentine Diego Schwartzman.
Andrey Rublev, 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, German Alexander Zverev and Italian Matteo Berrettini are among the many different seeds in motion from the underside half on Day 3 of the primary Masters 1000 occasion of the season.
ATPTour.com runs by way of a number of the key matchups on present within the Californian desert.
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[5] Daniil Medvedev vs. Brandon Nakashima [USA]
Medvedev arrives in Indian Wells in red-hot kind, having sealed a hard-court title hat-trick prior to now month. The fifth seed lifted trophies in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, the place he upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
The 27-year-old can be trying to preserve his efficiency ranges on the hard-court occasion and enhance on his file in Indian Wells, the place he has didn’t advance previous the fourth spherical in six earlier appearances.
His second-round opponent is 21-year-old Nakashima, who defeated John Isner in his opening match to earn his second tour-level win of the season. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion is aiming to succeed in the third spherical in Indian Wells for the primary time.
[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas [GRE] vs. Jordan Thompson [AUS]
Tsitsipas will compete for the primary time since he misplaced within the second spherical in Rotterdam in February. The second-seeded Greek can rise to No. 1 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the primary time following the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami, defending a mixed 135 factors from final 12 months.
Tsitsipas, who reached the Australian Open title match in January, should win one trophy and attain one closing throughout the swing to present himself an opportunity of reaching high spot for the primary time, together with his bid beginning in opposition to Thompson.
“This tournament always has such good energy when you can play in these courts,” stated Tsitsipas, who’s looking for his third ATP Masters 1000 title this fortnight. “The fans are incredible. For me it has been a while since I stepped on a court and played a match, so it is great being back here. I might not be at the best with the way I am feeling on the court right now, but I am pleased to have the opportunity to compete.”
Thompson defeated the returning Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 within the first spherical, however enters the conflict in opposition to Tsitsipas trailing the 24-year-old 0-2 of their ATP Head2Headvert sequence.
[3] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
Ruud has endured a disappointing begin to the season, failing to advance past the second spherical within the three tour-level tournaments that he has performed. The Norwegian will goal to show his fortunes and his ATP Head2Headvert sequence file in opposition to Argentine Diego Schwartzman round when the pair meet.
Schwartzman, who leads Ruud 5-3, snapped a five-match shedding streak when he defeated countryman Federico Coria 6-1, 6-2 within the first spherical. His greatest end in seven earlier appearances in California got here in 2021, when he superior to the quarter-finals.
“This is sort of where it all starts again. It is the first Masters 1000,” Ruud stated. “There are a lot of big events coming between now and November. You need to be ready for it and I feel ready, so let’s see how I can play.”
[6] Andrey Rublev vs. Jiri Lehecka [CZE]
As opening-round exams go, they don’t get a lot tougher than going through World No. 47 Jiri Lehecka. The Czech, who reached the championship match on the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals, has loved a standout begin to the season. He reached the quarter-finals on the Australian Open and the semi-finals in Doha, the place he defeated Rublev to degree their ATP Head2Headvert sequence at 1-1.
Set on revenge, Rublev can be trying to enhance on his 9-6 begin to the season in California, the place he has tasted success earlier than. The 25-year-old reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells final 12 months, defeating seeds Hubert Hurkacz and Grigor Dimitrov earlier than falling to eventual champion Taylor Fritz.
Rublev arrives on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion off the again of a run to the ultimate in Dubai, the place he misplaced to Medvedev.
“I feel much better because I won some matches that I have not won before,” Rublev stated when reflecting on his current kind. “I took some great victories. I feel much better. But here everything is different. It is a new tournament, a new continent.”
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Zverev made his return to Tour on the United Cup in January after lacking the second half of final 12 months because of a proper ankle harm he suffered in opposition to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. After a sluggish begin to the season, the German stepped up his degree in Dubai final week, advancing to the semi-finals.
Zverev, who reached the quarter-finals in Indian Wells in 2021, will goal to construct on his progress in opposition to Argentine Pedro Cachin, who defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili on debut.
The tenth seed Cameron Norrie captured the most important trophy of his profession in Indian Wells in 2021. The Briton, who enters the occasion following a title run in Rio de Janeiro final month, faces Chinese Taipei qualifier Tung-Lin Wu.
The twentieth seed Matteo Berrettini performs Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel, whereas 14th seed Frances Tiafoe takes on Marcos Giron. The twenty first seed Grigor Dimitrov faces Jason Kubler, with twenty fifth seed Denis Shapovalov up in opposition to Ugo Humbert.
Source web site: www.atptour.com
