As the second week of Indian Wells gets underway, we preview and predict three must-see matches in the desert.
The 25-year-old Raonic and the 23-year-old Tomic are leading members of what some call the ATP’s “lost generation.” Maybe, for now, it’s more realistic—as well as kinder—to think of them as the middle brothers of the tour: We pay much more attention to the firstborns at the top of the rankings and the teenage babies currently on the rise. But while the 14th-ranked Raonic and the 20th-ranked Tomic have endured their setbacks and controversies so far in 2016—the Canadian has been out for six weeks with an adductor injury; the Aussie is in a war of words with Davis Cup teammate Nick Kyrgios—they’ve also played some pretty good tennis. Raonic has won both of their previous meetings in straight sets.
Winner: Raonic
Oddly, the WTA’s breakthrough player of 2014 has never faced its breakthrough player of 2015. Since their respective surges, each woman has hit a speed bump: Bouchard is currently ranked No. 42, and Bacsinszky, after threatening to make the Top 10 last year, is down to No. 21 and is just 4-6 this season. Whatever their current states, the clash of their aggressive baseline styles should make for a compelling matchup—each loves to rip her two-handed backhand, in particular. Bouchard, after reaching the final in Kuala Lumpur last week and beating Sloane Stephens on Saturday, seems to be finding her old form again.
Winner: Bouchard
Over the last month, the ATP has been inundated with young talent: Alexander Zverev, Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have all impressed. It almost got to the point where the 19-year-old Coric, who has been touted at times as the most talented of them all, was in danger of being forgotten. His 2016 has indeed been mostly mediocre; he lost his opener at the Australian Open and has failed to reach a quarterfinal since his first event in Chennai. Maybe Coric was feeling the pressure from below, because last week he clinched a road Davis Cup tie win for Croatia with a fifth-rubber victory in Belgium, and so far he hasn’t dropped a set in two matches in Indian Wells. Now he’ll face a sterner test against perennial Top Tenner Berdych, who won their only meeting in straight sets last year.
Winner: Coric