Young North American sensations Ryan Harrison and Milos Raonic will resume their junior rivalry in the third round of Indian Wells.
The 18-year-old Harrison of the U.S. reached the third round of a Masters Series tournament for the first time with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, while Canada's Raonic won his 16th match of the year by overcoming Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-4. The two have never faced off as pros, but did play three times in the juniors. Harrison won two out of their three contests, including a three-set victory in first round of the 2008 Roland Garros juniors.
With the victory over Fish, Raonic won his 16th match of the year and is sure to crack at least the Top 35 when the tournament is over. "He's a fighter, he's feeling good, he's gonna go for his shots, he's gonna play, and he's gonna do a lot of things," said Raonic, who suffered a lower back injury in his win over Fish. "I feel like I'm posting up a lot of Top 20 wins, Top 50 wins consistently, and I think that's something to be proud of and something that isn't by luck or by chance. It's just a sign of my level."
Wild card Harrison, who hadn't scored a win on the ATP level this year before the tournament, added, "He's playing great and he's made a lot of improvements in his game, especially on the ground. I remember him from juniors. He's a big guy. He's finally reeled in his groundstrokes. I do have full confidence in myself and I feel I can win."—Matthew Cronin