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Wednesday Preview: Medvedev Meets Dimitrov, Turin Hopefuls In Pursuit

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2021

A maiden BNP Paribas Open quarter-final is on the line as top seed Daniil Medvedev looks to extend his blistering run on North American hard courts against former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov on Wednesday. With Nitto ATP Finals spots up for grabs, Hubert Hurkacz, Casper Ruud, Aslan Karatsev and Jannik Sinner all look to boost their standing in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin.

In a showdown between last year’s Nitto ATP Finals winner and the 2017 champion, Medvedev enters his contest against Dimitrov with a 3-1 ATP Head2Head record, including a straight-sets result in their only meeting this season in the round of 16 in Cincinnati. Dimitrov’s sole victory came on grass at Queen’s Club back in 2017

But the Bulgarian has played himself back into form on Californian hard courts in recent weeks. He notched a first tour-level semi-final of 2021 last week in San Diego before his defeat of 16th seed Reilly Opelka sent him through to the fourth round for the first time in eight appearances at Indian Wells.

Medvedev arrived at Indian Wells with a 3-3 record, but has already bettered his best result with his third-round defeat of Filip Krajinovic, his 50th match win of the season. The US Open champion has won 18 of his past 19 matches on North American soil and 40 of his past 43 sets.

“I feel like I’m trying to play a little bit less… just playing the biggest tournaments, or the ones that will get me back into shape, so I’m really happy that I managed to get 50 [wins]. It means that I was doing pretty good in a lot of them,” Medvedev said.

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Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a three-set battle against former World No. 9 Fabio Fognini on Tuesday night to set a fourth-round clash against Australian Alex de Minaur. The Greek will carry a 5-0 ATP Head2Head record into the match with the 22nd seed, a straight-sets winner over Chilean 15th seed Cristian Garin.

Tsitsipas remained on course for a second ATP Masters 1000 trophy this season following his first in Monte-Carlo in April. De Minaur’s victory over Garin was his first over a Top 20 opponent this season and the first time he had won consecutive matches since he claimed his fifth career title at Eastbourne in June.

German Alexander Zverev has hit a rich vein of form since Wimbledon with runs to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the Western & Southern Open title in Cincinnati. The third seed defeated Andy Murray for the first time to match his best run at Indian Wells in what was his 19th win from his past 20 matches.

Zverev is on the hunt for another first-time win when he takes on 14th seed Gael Monfils, a straight-sets winner over former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson. Monfils, who brings a 3-0 ATP Head2Head record into the match, is rediscovering his form following a run to the Sofia Open final last week.

His conqueror in that match, Italian Jannik Sinner, continues his bid for a maiden Nitto ATP Finals berth when he meets American 31st seed Taylor Fritz for the first time. Tenth in the FedEx Race To Turin, Sinner joins fellow contenders eighth-placed Casper Ruud, ninth-placed Hubert Hurkacz and 12th place Aslan Karatsev in action on Wednesday.

Miami Open champion Hurkacz looks to level a 0-1 ATP Head2Head record against 19th seed Karatsev, while Ruud chases a third straight win against 11th seed Diego Schwartzman after losing the pair’s first four ATP Head2Head encounters.

SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2021

STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
ATP – [11] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs [6] C. Ruud (NOR) 
ATP – [1] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs [23] G. Dimitrov (BUL) 

Not Before 3:00 PM
WTA – [27] V. Azarenka (BLR) vs [19] J. Pegula (USA)

Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – S. Rogers (USA) vs [24] J. Ostapenko (LAT)
ATP – [14] G. Monfils (FRA) vs [3] A. Zverev (GER) 

STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
ATP – [19] A. Karatsev (RUS) vs [8] H. Hurkacz (POL) 
ATP – T. Paul (USA) vs [21] C. Norrie (GBR) 
ATP – [31] T. Fritz (USA) vs [10] J. Sinner (ITA) 

Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – [22] A. de Minaur (AUS) vs [2] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) 
ATP – [1] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs [7] J. Peers (AUS) / F. Polasek (SVK) 

STADIUM 3 start 1:00 pm
WTA – V. Kudermetova (RUS) / E. Rybakina (KAZ) vs M. Bouzkova (CZE) / L. Hradecka (CZE)
ATP – [29] N. Basilashvili (GEO) vs [24] K. Khachanov (RUS) 

Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – [5] K. Krawietz (GER) / H. Tecau (ROU) vs T. Puetz (GER) / M. Venus (NZL) 

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Tsitsipas Rebounds To Beat Fognini In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas has surged back from a set and a break down to hold off former World No. 9 Fabio Fognini in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.

The Greek was rattled early on against the 30th seed, but worked his way back into the match for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in two hours and four minutes. It set a fourth-round meeting with 22nd seed Alex de Minaur after the Australian’s 6-4, 6-2 win against 15th seed Cristian Garin.

Tsitsipas extended his ATP Head2Head record against the Italian to 3-0 as he finished with 21 winners – including 10 off the forehand – and 28 unforced errors. Fognini clocked 32 winners – 22 of those off his forehand – but committed 32 unforced errors.

“Great comeback, honestly… I don’t know what happened,” Tsitsipas said. “I really wanted to get back in the match and it happened somehow.

“From [a set and a break down] I just took it point by point and it worked out pretty well. A good mindset and also a bit of patience helped as well. I found solutions in those tough moments and really felt like I had momentum.”

Fognini set the tone early when he broke in the opening game on Stadium 1 and his sustained aggression had Tsitsipas unable to make any real inroads as the first set wore on. The Italian withstood a break point as he closed to within a game of the set.

It was all slipping away fast from the Greek as he stared down two set points on serve at the 33-minute mark. While he survived those, his opponent secured it a game later and pressed early in the second set as he broke for 2-1.

The crowd rallied behind the second seed when he broke for the first time to draw level and it marked an immediate switch in momentum as Fognini’s error count grew. Tsitsipas carried the advantage to level the match at a set apiece and capitalised on a string of loose unforced errors from the Italian to land the crucial break for 3-2 in the deciding set and never looked back as he extended his tour-leading match wins this season to 53.

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Paul On The Prowl: 'You Want To See Him Have Success'

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2021

Tommy Paul was disappointed on Monday evening, but he was still having a blast. The American had just failed to serve out his third-round match at the BNP Paribas Open against fourth seed Andrey Rublev.

But instead of panicking, he took a moment to feel the atmosphere inside Stadium 4 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“I was mad that I didn’t hold and win the match, but I wasn’t too upset to be out there a little longer,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “It was so much fun every changeover having the people scream your name and get loud. For a second I literally just closed my eyes and I was just like soaking it in before that last game. I was like, ‘This is unreal. I could be out here for five sets, I don’t care’.

Paul rebounded to earn his first ATP Head2Head victory against Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 and reach the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. He will play in-form Briton Cameron Norrie for a spot in his first quarter-final at this level.

Fifteen minutes after match point, the 24-year-old still had a big smile on his face. It was not just because he earned his first win against a top five opponent, but the fun he had doing it.

“You get up and you’re about to return or you’re about to play a game and you hear everyone, the energy coming from everybody. It’s just hard not to feel it coming into your body. It’s a good feeling,” Paul said. “It’s almost like an adrenaline from people, just energy from people. It’s a feeling that you can’t ignore. It’s impossible to ignore the feeling, so you might as well embrace it. I love it.”

It appeared during his teens that Paul would be enjoying moments like that often. The American won the 2015 Roland Garros boys’ singles title and in 2017, as a 20-year-old, he made the Washington quarter-finals in which he held three match points before losing against Kei Nishikori.

But it took Paul until September 2019 to break into the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings as he struggled to find consistency. The Florida resident has not made an ATP Tour final.

“He still has so many more things in front of him that are going to be new and exciting and hopefully that he’s going to make a splash at,” said Brad Stine, Paul’s coach.

The former coach of former World No. 1 Jim Courier noted that his charge broke onto the scene six years ago, but this is only Paul’s second full season on the ATP Tour. Stine is greatly enjoying the process of trying to improve the World No. 60’s game.

“I’ve known Tommy really since he was about 14 or 15 when I first went back to the USTA. He’s just such a personable guy. He just draws you in. It’s hard not to root for Tommy Paul when you’re around him and get to know him,” Stine said. “That makes you want to be that much more invested in what goes on with him. You want to see him have success because of that.

“He’s a guy who makes losing hurt if that makes sense. The winning is always nice, but the losing hurts more when you’re with someone whom you’re that invested in.”

It does not take long being around Paul to notice that he is one of the more relaxed and well-liked guys in the locker room. He is typically hanging out with friends, including Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe and Mackenzie McDonald. You are more likely to catch him discussing the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Eagles than a match being played.

“I’m much more laid back and relaxed than a normal tennis player. A lot of tennis players are pretty weird. I like to think that I’m a little bit more normal,” Paul said, cracking a laugh. “Obviously when I’m home I hang out with Reilly or whoever down there, but then I have friends who aren’t in sports. I like to say that I’m normal, but at the same time it’s impossible to be with the schedule.

“Everyone wants to plan events and do stuff, and I’m like I’m in Monaco or Russia or something. That’s different, but for the most part I like to live a 24-year-old’s lifestyle.”

Follow Paul on social media and you’ll periodically see posts at a sporting venue, on a boat, or something of the sort. But that does not mean he is not taking care of business and doing everything he can to maximise his potential.

“Don’t get it twisted. I’m busting my a** when I’m practising. I’m working hard with my trainer and working very hard with my coach,” Paul said. “But at the same time when I have opportunities to live a normal life, I try to.”

Stine said that Paul could be “loosey-goosey” on the practice court sometimes. But the coach is measured in how he deals with that. After all, he earned one of his biggest wins yet on Monday having a blast.

“I said one of my goals has been not to beat the fun out of Tommy, because I think he plays his best tennis when he’s having fun,” Stine said. “I think the competition is fun for Tommy in the first place.”

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Top Seeds Soar To Set Peers/Polasek Clash In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2021

Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are comfortably through to the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals after dismissing Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop in straight sets on Tuesday.

The Croatian duo – champions nine times already this season, including at Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and three Masters 1000 events – advanced 6-1, 6-3 over the Salvadoran/Dutch combination. They dropped just six points on their first serve and saved both break points to set a clash with seventh seeds John Peers and Filip Polasek.

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Since 2000, only Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have won 10 titles in a season. In only their first season together, Mektic and Pavic have a chance to equal the feat at Indian Wells as they search for their first trophy since clinching the gold medal in Tokyo.

Peers/Polasek beat Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4, 7-6(5) in 99 minutes for their third straight quarter-final spot, following their run to the US Open semi-finals and San Diego Open final. The Australian/Slovak tandem won 76 per cent of first-serve points but converted just three of 11 break point chances.

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Zverev Battles Past Murray In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2021

It is not how you start, it’s how you finish, and Alexander Zverev did that well on Tuesday afternoon to eliminated former World No. 1 Andy Murray at the BNP Paribas Open.

Despite falling behind a break in both sets, the third seed overcame a game Murray 6-4, 7-5 to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells for the first time since 2016. The German will next play 14th seed Gael Monfils or two-time major finalist Kevin Anderson.

“He’s the only one of the Big Four that I hadn’t beaten yet, so I’m happy that I’ve done it today,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Obviously it was a fantastic match. I thought Andy played extremely well, maybe as well as he’s played since the surgery. I hope he continues playing the same way, because tennis did miss him for a long time and I think it’s good to have him back.”

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Three-time major winner Murray played good tennis to back up his impressive second-round performance against #NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz. The Scot also had the full support of the Stadium 1 crowd, which roared for nearly every point he won.

But Zverev was simply too good. Despite patches of uncharacteristic play — including several mistakes at the net, especially with his overhead — the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion played his best tennis in critical moments to advance after two hours and eight minutes.

“I always stayed in the match, even though I was down a break in both sets. I always knew I had a chance. Especially the second set I think was an extremely high level from both of us. It could have gone both ways.”

Murray sprinted to the lead early in both sets, bringing energy to the court and taking advantage of openings given to him. But as both sets wore on, Zverev cut down on his mistakes and clawed through baseline rallies.

Despite failing to serve out the match at 6-5 in the second set, Zverev did not panic. He took advantage of a sloppy drop shot from Murray to start the tie-break and never looked back.

Zverev has now won 19 of his past 20 matches, including runs to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the Western & Southern Open title in Cincinnati.

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Fritz Takes Down Berrettini, Advances To Fourth Round

  • Posted: Oct 12, 2021

Taylor Fritz earned his biggest win of the year Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Open, easing past Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 in front of his home crowd to reach the fourth round.

The California native, who was 2-6 in his past eight matches heading into Indian Wells, gained his first win against a Top-10 opponent in 2021 and the seventh of his career in the 81-minute encounter.

“We’re coming to the end of the year, I could really use a big result,” said Fritz in his on-court interview. “This is just what I needed, playing one of my favourite tournaments close to home.”

Fritz held a 5-1 lead in the first set, surviving a Berrettini comeback by breaking to love in the final game. A break in the fourth game of the second set proved enough to take the match in straight sets against a frustrated and off-form Berrettini.

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“I had a really clear strategy on top of just doing what I do,” said Fritz. “Big first serves, attacking the first ball, trying to be aggressive and play to my strengths to try and make him uncomfortable as much as I could.”

The World No. 5 saved four match points to extend the second set, but Fritz maintained his composure to hold serve in the following game. Fritz broke the Italian’s serve five times, winning 48 per cent (27/56) of return points.

Fritz denied Berrettini the chance to continue his Nitto ATP Finals qualification campaign this week, with the Italian sixth in the FedEX ATP Race to Turin. The 31st seed now leads their ATP Head2Head 2-0.

Up next for Fritz is another Italian, Jannik Sinner. The 20-year-old is also chasing a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals, sitting 10th in the Race.

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Paul Records Biggest Win, Beats Rublev In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 12, 2021

The wide smile on Tommy Paul’s face at the end of his match Monday evening said it all.

After a back-and-forth battle against fourth seed Andrey Rublev in which the American unsuccessfully served for the match once, Paul completed one of the biggest victories of his career 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

“I’m not thinking too much. I was pretty happy to be out there, so it wasn’t like the end of the world getting broken there,” Paul told ATPTour.com. “I had match point and obviously I wanted to win the match there. But I felt comfortable throughout the match.”

[FOLLOW 1000]

Paul’s missed opportunity came serving at 5-3 in the decider. On match point, he hit a backhand approach shot long. Rublev then broke his serve and held to level their clash. The World No. 60 remained calm though and triumphed after two hours and 24 minutes.

“I knew that I would have chances either to break back or [win] in the breaker, even if I just raised the level of my serve a little bit,” Paul said. “I would have had a lot of chances to win that breaker.”

The 24-year-old had never previously made the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event, and now he is into the fourth round. The victory was his second against a Top 10 opponent after he defeated Alexander Zverev in Acapulco next year.

Paul will next play in-form Briton Cameron Norrie, who clawed past Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 after two hours and 44 minutes.

The lefty Norrie, who is the 21st seed, hit 12 aces and saved 10 of the 14 break points he faced. Paul won their only previous clash earlier this year in an ATP 250 in Melbourne.

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Tuesday Preview: Murray Faces Zverev, Berrettini Chases Turin Berth

  • Posted: Oct 12, 2021

A defeat of highly touted #NextGenATP prospect Carlos Alcaraz has Andy Murray confident of maintaining an unbeaten record against third seed Alexander Zverev at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.

With fourth-round berths on the line at Indian Wells, second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Fabio Fognini, looking to improve on a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record, while Fognini’s countryman, fifth seed Matteo Berrettini, could set a fourth-round showdown with fellow Italian and Nitto ATP Finals hope Jannik Sinner.

Former World No. 1 Murray holds a 2-0 ATP Head2Head record against Zverev, including a surprise win at this stage of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last year. Now at No. 121 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Scot believes he is in even better shape this time round to go 3-0.

“He’s had a good summer post Wimbledon with the Olympics, then a great run in New York. Played a tough match with Novak [Djokovic] there,” Murray said. “Not going to be easy for me. I played some good matches against him in the past. Yeah, will need to play really well.

“Obviously the match that we played last year, not saying he was playing his best tennis at that stage, but he did make the final of the US Open a couple of weeks later,” Murray said. “I wasn’t physically feeling particularly good and did not play particularly well, but managed to win. From that perspective I can gain confidence from that, that if I play a really good match I’ll be right in there with a shot.”

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After being taken to three sets against #NextGenATP American Jenson Brooksby in his opening match, Zverev had added incentive to beat Murray for a place in the fourth round. The German’s win over Brooksby sealed his berth at the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 14-21 November at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, and kept him in the hunt for a third ATP Masters 1000 trophy for the season.

“I’m happy to be in the third round and playing Andy now. I think he’s the only one of the Big Four I haven’t beaten yet, so I hope I can change that,” Zverev said. “I think it’s incredible how well he’s moving and incredible how well he’s playing. I think he’s very motivated so I hope I can show my best tennis.”

Second seed Tsitsipas, who won his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Monte-Carlo in April, has the chance to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time when he takes on 25th seed Fognini on Stadium 1. The Greek saw off Spaniard Pedro Martinez in his opening match, while Fognini ground out a three-set victory over Jan-Lennard Struff.

John Isner’s withdrawal to be with his wife for the birth of their child boosted 10th seed Sinner’s hopes of a deep run in the desert as he aimed to improve on his current standing of 10th position in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin. The 20-year-old could next meet Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini should the Italian beat 31st seed Taylor Fritz of the United States.

After ending the run of Chilean qualifier Alejandro Tabilo, Berrettini looks to level the ledger after losing his only prior ATP Head2Head meeting with the American in the 2019 Davis Cup Finals in Spain. Fritz scored a straight-sets triumph over #NextGenATP countryman Brandon Nakashima in his opening match.

SCHEDULE – TUESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2021

STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
WTA – [19] J. Pegula (USA) vs [4] E. Svitolina (UKR)
WTA – S. Rogers (USA) vs [23] L. Fernandez (CAN)
ATP – [WC] A. Murray (GBR) vs [3] A. Zverev (GER) 

Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – [10] A. Kerber (GER) vs A. Tomljanovic (AUS)
ATP – [25] F. Fognini (ITA) vs [2] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) 

STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
ATP – [5] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs [31] T. Fritz (USA) 
ATP – [24] K. Khachanov (RUS) vs [12] P. Carreno Busta (ESP) 

Not Before 4:00 PM
WTA – [3] B. Krejcikova (CZE) vs [21] P. Badosa (ESP)

Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – [14] G. Monfils (FRA) vs K. Anderson (RSA) 

Not Before 8:00 PM
WTA – [12] O. Jabeur (TUN) vs [Q] A. Kalinskaya (RUS)

STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
WTA – [24] J. Ostapenko (LAT) vs [2] I. Swiatek (POL)
ATP – A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs [29] N. Basilashvili (GEO) 
WTA – [27] V. Azarenka (BLR) vs A. Sasnovich (BLR)

After Suitable Rest NB 6:00 PM
WTA – L. Fernandez (CAN) / C. Gauff (USA) vs [2] S. Hsieh (TPE) / E. Mertens (BEL)
ATP – [13] C. Garin (CHI) vs [22] A. de Minaur (AUS) 

STADIUM 4 start 1:00 pm
WTA – M. Ninomiya (JPN) / S. Santamaria (USA) vs [3] S. Aoyama (JPN) / E. Shibahara (JPN)
ATP – W. Koolhof (NED) / J. Rojer (NED) vs [7] J. Peers (AUS) / F. Polasek (SVK) 
ATP – [1] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs M. Arevalo (ESA) / M. Middelkoop (NED) 

Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – [LL] B. Haddad Maia (BRA) vs [18] A. Kontaveit (EST)
ATP – J. Struff (GER) / A. Zverev (GER) vs R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN) 00

STADIUM 6 start After Suitable Rest NB 6;00 PM
WTA – [1] B. Krejcikova (CZE) / K. Siniakova (CZE) vs L. Kichenok (UKR) / J. Ostapenko (LAT)

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