Before each day of play at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, we’ll preview and predict three of the day’s must-see matches.
Benoit Paire vs. Taylor Fritz
Both outside of the Top 40, these two have been given a prime afternoon stadium slot for one reason: the 19-year-old Fritz is a Southern California kid who has been deemed, by IMG and others, to be one of the futures of American tennis. At the moment, though, Fritz, who went from No. 600 to No. 60 in the rankings in 2016, is deep into his sophomore season, and he’s going through all of the struggles that the word implies. His body—in particular his left knee—is banged up. He’s been losing tough three-setters. His ranking has deflated to No. 136. But while Paire is ranked well above that, the flaky and ever-fluctuating Frenchman usually gives his opponent some hope of success. The two have never faced each other. Winner: Paire
Dan Evans vs. Dustin Brown
The 26-year-old Evans and the 32-year-old Brown faced each other for the first time last month in Dubai, and judging by the 6-2, 6-3 score, there wasn’t much to it. Evans is ranked 41st to Brown’s 82nd, and is coming off a round-of-16 run at the Australian Open, so he should be favored again this time. But the Brit and the German are both flashy talents, and together you would expect them to create some shot-making fireworks somewhere along the line. It should be worth your time. Winner: Evans
Karolina Pliskova [3] vs. Monica Puig
Pliskova is ranked No. 3, and Puig is ranked No. 43, but it still comes as a surprise that the Czech has made such routine work of the Puerto Rican. They’ve played six sets, and Pliskova has won them 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and 6-2.
You might think that Pliskova is too inconsistent to produce such steady success, and that Puig, the Olympic gold medalist, is too good to be frustrated by this opponent for so long. And maybe she is. After her post-Rio crash in 2016, Puig has settled into a solid if unspectacular groove in 2017. She won three matches in Doha, two in Dubai and two in Acapulco. Can she win her second in Indian Wells in this evening, stadium-court encounter? I’m guessing Puig will make it more of a match with Pliskova than she has in the past, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to win. Winner: Pliskova
