It appeared that it would be another disappointing year at Indian Wells for 32-year-old Israeli Dudi Sela. After winning just five games in the quarter-finals of the Oracle Challenger Series Indian Wells, the veteran won just three games in the second round of qualifying at the BNP Paribas Open, held at the same site. But a late withdrawal allowed Sela into the main draw, and suddenly he is into the third round at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2010 (l. to Robredo). 

Sela, who plays Marcos Baghdatis for a spot in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, spoke with ATPWorldTour.com about what would help his career, and what passion he wants to pursue in the future.

What’s your biggest passion outside of sports and why?
Now it’s my kids. I’m older, I want to spend it with my kids. I’m not even practising. My wife is working… when I’m in Israel, one hour practice, that’s it. I’m the babysitter, and I love it.

What’s the last book you read?
It’s an Israeli book, it’s called The Brain.

What’s your favourite book of all-time?
I’m not sure, I’m more into TV series now. My favourite is an Israeli show, ‘Fauda’.

Who is the world leader you admire most?
Yitzhak Rabin, he was the Israeli Prime Minister. I think he tried to make a difference in Israel.

What is the last concert or show you attended?
An Israeli singer, Omer Adam, two weeks ago. But in London I watched U2.

Favourite sport besides tennis?
I think football, soccer.

Your tennis career will be a success if ___________
If I have 10 more centimetres.

After my career I want to ___________
Be involved in tennis in Israel. I want to be a coach, or develop players in Israel.

France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who competes on the ATP World Tour as both a singles and doubles player, gives ATPWorldTour.com an insight into his life off the court…

First moment I realised I loved tennis
Actually, it was the first time I had a racquet in my hand. Since I was a kid, I loved it from the very first time. When I was a kid, it’s amazing the pleasure I got from hitting the ball against the wall. I was born with a racquet in my hand and I loved it from the first time. My parents were both tennis coaches. As soon as I could walk, I had the racquet in my hand.

First coach and most important lesson he/she taught me
My first coach was my father, and one of the first lessons he taught me is that tennis is a game. You have to enjoy it. After the second lesson, it was if you work hard, it’s going to pay off one day.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
My first pinch-me moment was my breakthrough in Paris-Bercy. It was 2013 or 2014, I don’t remember, but I was playing Benoit Paire on Court Centrale and then playing against Novak Djokovic. Beating Benoit Paire and then losing against Djokovic in a tight match, I think that was my first big moment on the ATP.

First time I was recognised
I have no answer to this. It would be sometime recently. I think it was the past two years that I started to be recognised. Not that much. Not like Rafa or Roger. Mostly in France, in my hometown.

First time I travelled abroad
Really, really soon. I remember one trip when I went alone to Latvia (for tennis), I was maybe 14 or 15. This was a big trip to go alone, at 14 or 15, to a country where you can’t speak the language.

First thing I bought with prize money
I don’t really know what I bought with prize money. I know I bought a computer, an [Apple] Mac, when I was 19 or 20. But I didn’t make that much money, so I don’t think it was the prize money that bought it!

First autograph/photo I got
One of the first pictures I took was with Arnaud Clement when I was a young guy. I was maybe 10, he played team matches in my region and I was lucky enough to get a picture with him. He had actually a sandwich almost in his mouth, so it was a funny picture. I still have it. I showed it to him.

First celebrity idols
I have a lot of actors that I like. Roman Joules, he’s playing in French movies. After this, I love Denzel Washington. In sport, I think we are lucky enough to have Roger Federer in tennis. I was a big fan growing up. I have a lot of people to look to for examples.

First album I bought
I didn’t buy that many albums, but I’m a big Coldplay fan. The first one, I didn’t buy it, I got it as a present, was a Michael Jackson album. It was one of his last ones.

First pet
In my family we had three cats. The first one died at age 18. I grew up with Mimi. Then there were two others, but they were not as lucky as Mimi. They died younger.

Two popular ATP World Tour stars – Juan Martin del Potro and David Ferrer – square off at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday bidding to book a place in the fourth round. Del Potro, the power player who is back in the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, against the hard-working Ferrer, still a force at the age of 35, compete third match on Stadium 1.

In a rivalry that began 10 years ago, both players, with contrasting styles are tied at 6-6 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (Del Potro 17-15 sets won) ahead of their third meeting of 2018. Del Potro has won their past four clashes, including a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win at their recent Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. World No. 8 Del Potro, who reached the 2013 Indian Wells final (l. to Nadal), is looking for his 20th career win here (19-7), while Ferrer is trying to reach the fourth round for the third time (2007 QF, 2009 4R).

 Watch Full Match Replays

Second seed Marin Cilic comes face-to-face with a notoriously tricky opponent, No. 31 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, in the second match on Stadium 1 today. Kohlschreiber leads 6-4, but Cilic did win their last match in the 2017 Wimbledon first round. Cilic is attempting to advance to the fourth round for the third time in 11 appearances, while Kohlschreiber will look to break a 12-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents (22-87 lifetime). The German’s last victory came against then No. 7-ranked Tomas Berdych in a 2016 Davis Cup tie.

During the night session on the Indian Wells Tennis Garden’s main show court, eighth-seeded American Jack Sock will take his aggressive power game to No. 28 seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain, the serve-volleyer, who uses his sliced backhand to great effect. Sock, who competes in the 2017 semi-finals (l. to Federer), leads Lopez 2-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Lopez is making his 16th straight Indian Wells appearance and he has reached the fourth round three times (4R in 2014 and 2016, QF in 2015).

On Stadium 2, 2016 quarter-finalist Gael Monfils meets his fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert for the first time. In the next match, No. 32 seed and 2016 Indian Wells finalist Milos Raonic looks to remain unbeaten (3-0) against Portugal’s Joao Sousa, who upset No. 5-ranked Alexander Zverev on Sunday. In doubles, 2013-14 champions and seventh seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan challenge Pablo Carreno Busta and David Marrero in the second round on Stadium 2, during the night session.

Combining power and precision with a burgeoning confidence on the big stages, inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung is through to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time. Experienced Czech 12th seed Tomas Berdych was the 21-year-old’s latest victim on Monday night.

Unlike Chung’s previous match – in which he battled for nearly three hours to get past Dusan Lajovic – he cruised past Berdych 6-4, 6-4. It is his first victory in three FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings with the Czech and the first time he had even taken a set.

Chung had already tasted hard-court success on a big stage this season after he became the first South Korean to reach a Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open. His victims in Melbourne included Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic before a blister derailed his semi-final match against eventual champion Roger Federer.

Should Chung reach his his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final with a win over No. 30 seed Pablo Cuevas in the fourth round he could earn a hard-court rematch with Federer, provided the defending champion defeated unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy next.

Against Berdych, Chung started the stronger breaking for 3-1 before being reeled in for 4-4. Crunching his service returns, Chung caught Berdych out of position to draw a forehand wide as he broke again for 5-4 and served out the opening set at the 41-minute mark.

Appearing at the BNP Paribas Open for the 14th straight year, 2013 Indian Wells semi-finalist Berdych had reached the quarter-finals or better at three of his four prior events, including the Australian Open.

 Watch Full Match Replays

But after the Czech was broken early in the second set, it was Chung who carried the momentum to reach the round of 16 at an Masters 1000 event for the second time in his career (Montreal 2017).
His fourth-round opponent, Cuevas, is one win away from reaching back-to-back quarter-finals in Indian Wells. The Uruguayan was leading fifth seed Dominic Thiem 3-6, 6-4, 4-2 before the Austrian retired due to a right foot injury.

Cuevas was coming off a victory over #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov and had reached the quarter-finals of the Rio Open and semi-finals of the Brasil Open in Sao Paolo. 
It brings the FedEx ATP Head2Head ledger between Thiem and Cuevas all square at 2-2.

Thiem had won both clashes in 2017 at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome. The result also ensures top seed and defending champion Roger Federer will not meet an opponent seeded in the Top 10 before at least the semi-finals with No. 23 Chung the highest remaining.