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Tiafoe Opens Indian Wells Campaign Among 10 Home Contenders

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2021

Frances Tiafoe begins his fifth BNP Paribas Open campaign on Thursday, leading a strong home contingent of 10 American men in action on Day 1 at Indian Wells.

Since beating Taylor Fritz in 2016, the 23-year-old has not passed the first round in four subsequent attempts. But he will carry a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record into his opening clash with Frenchman Benoit Paire on Stadium 1. The World No. 49 has already notched some notable wins on his North American hard-court swing, taking down then-No. 10 Denis Shapovalov in Toronto and No. 7 Andrey Rublev in five sets to reach the fourth round at the US Open (l. to Auger-Aliassime).

Countryman Tommy Paul will also feature on Stadium 1 as he attempts to fell veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez for the first time on Thursday. Lopez holds a 15-17 record in the desert and will pull clear of Roger Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 appearances with 139 when he takes on the 24-year-old American. The Spaniard, who celebrated his 40th birthday last month, had his best run at Indian Wells in 2015 when he reached the quarter-finals (l. to Murray).

Most ATP Masters 1000 Appearances

 No.  Player   Events 
 1T.  Feliciano Lopez  138
 1T.  Roger Federer  138
 3.  Fernando Verdasco  129
 4T.  David Ferrer  123
 4T.  Rafael Nadal  123

Two young Americans look to make good on wild cards when they make their respective Indian Wells main draw debuts on Thursday. #NextGenATP 18-year-old Zachary Svajda, a two-time USTA Boys’ 18s national champion, takes on Italian qualifier Salvatore Caruso for the first time, while 22-year-old J.J. Wolf meets experienced Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

Wolf fell in qualifying in his only prior appearance in the desert in 2019. The 31-year-old Pospisil upset then-World No. 1 Andy Murray as a qualifier in the second round in 2017 on his way to the round of 32.

Former World No. 11 Sam Querrey opens play on Stadium 1 when he takes on German Daniel Altmaier. The 33-year-old is looking for his first singles win since Wimbledon and will carry a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record into the clash.

Former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori begins his 10th Indian Wells campaign against Portuguese qualifier Joao Sousa, the former World No. 28 . The Japanese star has an 11-10 record in the desert, including two quarter-final appearances, but fell to Hubert Hurkacz in the round of 32 in 2019.

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Shapovalov Out To Revive Season In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2021

Denis Shapovalov hopes a return to the Californian desert this week for the BNP Paribas Open will deliver the late-season revival he needs as he pursues a maiden Nitto ATP Finals berth in 2021.

Currently at No. 15 in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, the 22-year-old still holds an outside chance at landing a place in the elite eight-player field. But since his breakthrough run to a maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon in July, when he tested eventual champion Novak Djokovic, it has not been entirely smooth sailing as he compiled a 3-6 record on hard courts.

A third-round departure to Lloyd Harris at the US Open preceded a straight-sets dismissal to Daniil Medvedev in his sole Laver Cup singles match for Team World. He scored a win over Taylor Fritz at the San Diego Open last week before he fell to eventual finalist Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals.

“It’s definitely great to be back at Indian Wells. Obviously, a little bit different playing it in October but it’s definitely great to still be in the States during this part of the season – definitely much closer to travel to,” Shapovalov said. “[It’s] really hot conditions, which I think can suit my game, [so I’m] looking forward to the tournament.”

An impressive showing at the Sunshine Double in 2019 proved the launch pad to one of Shapovalov’s career-best seasons. The Canadian holds a 3-2 record in the desert, beating 11th seed Marin Cilic to reach the round of 16 in 2019 before falling to then No. 67 Hubert Hurkacz in three sets.

At the Miami Open that month, Shapovalov beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe en route to the semi-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Roger Federer. It was a run that elevated him into the Top 20 for the first time and he went on to end the season at No. 15.

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“It’s been a while since that time frame. It’s a little bit weird being back here because it’s kind of where everything started,” Shapovalov said. “Definitely, I feel like a completely different player coming into the event this year, for sure, a lot more experience, a lot more relaxed on the court.

“I’ve been through the ride a couple of times now so I know exactly what to expect from myself and overall happy with the way I’ve been able to grow since everything kind of shut down [due to the pandemic].”

Seeded ninth, Shapovalov will open against compatriot Vasek Pospisil or American J.J. Wolf following a bye. This week, he also reprises his doubles partnership with Rohan Bopanna with hopes of beating his countryman Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hurkacz first up. In 2019, the duo upset Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares before Novak Djokovic and Fabio Fognini prevailed in a match tie-break.

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Andy Murray On Indian Wells, Making Progress & Emma Raducanu

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2021

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray sits fifth on the all-time list of ATP Masters 1000 titles leaders, with his 14 triumphs spread across seven of the nine tournaments in the elite series, which debuted in 1990. With 34 of his 46 titles coming on hard court, it’s a little surprising that the Scot never took the final step at the BNP Paribas Open, the only non-clay 1000 that he hasn’t won.

Ranked outside the Top 100 and needing a wild card into the main draw, the Scot isn’t dreaming of an elusive title this time around, but he is hoping that a new date and different conditions will allow him to build on the gains made during the recent US Open Series.

“The conditions have changed a bit this year,” Murray said. “Not the speed of the court or the air, but before the balls were extremely light, and combined with the very light air I struggled with that and my results were inconsistent.

“But the balls are getting much heavier, which I really like. I like playing with slow balls in fast conditions. I’m feeling it a lot easier to control the ball.”

Most Masters 1000 Titles

Pos.  Player  Titles 
 1T  Novak Djokovic  36
 1T  Rafael Nadal  36
 3  Roger Federer  28
 4  Andre Agassi  17
 5  Andy Murray  14
 6  Pete Sampras  11

Murray, who has a 216-85 record at Masters 1000 level, including a victory over World No. 4 Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati in August, has a 9-9 record on the year as he continues to work his way back from hip surgery. And many of those losses have come against Top 20 opposition, including Matteo Berrettini (Queen’s), Denis Shapovalov (Wimbledon), Hubert Hurkacz (Cincinnati and Metz), Stefanos Tsitsipas (US Open in five sets) and San Diego champion Casper Ruud last week.

“I’ve had opportunities in those matches that I haven’t taken. Top players snuff out opportunities but there were also things I could have done better,” Murray said.

“The positive is that I haven’t been losing to guys I should be winning against and in the matches I have lost I don’t feel that I have been outclassed or that it wasn’t possible I could win against those players in the future.”

Murray is making his 13th appearance at the event, which was cancelled in 2020 and pushed back from March to October this year due to the pandemic. The World No. 121 has a 25-12 record at the BNP Paribas Open, highlighted by a run to the 2009 final (l. Nadal) and two semi-finals. He last played the event in 2017.

The 2016 year-end No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings will open against French lefty Adrian Mannarino, whom he twice beat in 2015 in their only two ATP Head2Head encounters.

“He is a very tricky player, quite unorthodox and plays differently to most of the guys on Tour,” Murray said. “The majority of players play with heavy topspin and have big, long swings to generate power and spin. He hits very flat off both sides and on the forehand he has probably the shortest swing on Tour. He plays a lot with his timing. His quick lefty serve is difficult as well. It won’t be an easy match.”

The winner will play 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, a recent US Open quarter-finalist, who is seeded No. 30 in the desert.

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During Wednesday’s pre-tournament media conference, Murray was asked about Great Britain’s breakthrough WTA star Emma Raducanu, who last month won through qualifying to win the US Open title.

Although noting that he had not spent a lot of time on court with the 18-year-old, Murray said that her rapid rise did not surprise him.

“Often what separates the elite athletes from that level just below is that ability to learn quickly and process information. Not everyone can do that, but the top players and the really elite athletes are able to do that,” Murray said.

“I haven’t spent loads of time with her on a tennis court but it wouldn’t surprise me if she picked things up extremely quickly.

“The last 18 months prior to the grass season and Wimbledon she didn’t compete a whole lot, which in some ways allowed her to make some technical changes to her game and develop. Usually around that age, 17 and 18-year-olds are competing a lot. They are on the junior tour and drip feeding into senior tournaments as well. Maybe that period gave her the opportunity to fix some technical issues in her game. She does seem to have improved her serve and forehand.”

Murray has not been beyond the third round of a Masters 1000 tournament since winning the Rolex Paris Masters title in 2016 as part of a 24-match winning streak that culminated in his defeat of Novak Djokovic in the Nitto ATP Finals title match, which decided the year-end No. 1 FedEx ATP Rankings.

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Medvedev, Tsitsipas & Other Seeds See Opportunity In Indian Wells

  • Posted: Oct 06, 2021

A new champion will be crowned from one of the most wide-open fields in many years at this year’s BNP Paribas Open. A wrist injury has sidelined defending champion Dominic Thiem, while the four men before him who prevailed in the desert – Juan Martin del Potro, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – are all absent.

Not since 2010, when Federer’s coach Ivan Ljubicic defeated Andy Roddick, has another name triumphed. US Open champion Daniil Medvedev is the top seed ahead of Rolex Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, but of the top eight seeds, only one has reached the quarter-finals in the desert before.

Here is a rundown on the top eight seeds…

1. Daniil Medvedev: The Russian was ruthless in his sole match on Laver Cup duties in Boston less than a fortnight ago, allowing Denis Shapovalov just four games. It was a rested and reassured Medvedev who returned to competition following his breakthrough maiden major in New York (d. Djokovic). Medvedev, who also boasts titles in Marseille, Mallorca and the ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto this year, is yet to shine at Indian Wells, arriving with a modest 3-3 record, following round of 32 appearances in 2018 and 2019.

2. Stefanos Tsitsipas: The 23-year-old scored a first victory over Nick Kyrgios in three ATP Head2Head meetings in Boston in his first match since a five-set third-round exit at the US Open, where he fell to #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. The Greek has reached the quarter-finals in five of his six Masters 1000 events this season, winning in Monte-Carlo, but only has a 1-2 record in the desert, which includes a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in his opening match of the 2019 edition.

3. Alexander Zverev: Medvedev may have landed the silverware in New York, but Zverev bagged the gold at the Tokyo Olympics as part of a 16-match winning streak, which Djokovic ended in the US Open semi-finals. Victory over John Isner at the Laver Cup has the German at 17-1 since Wimbledon, but he stands at 5-4 at Indian Wells, where he has reached the round of 16 just once, in a 2016 defeat to Nadal.

4. Andrey Rublev: After reaching his eighth semi-final of the season at the weekend in San Diego (l. to Norrie), the Russian continues his California campaign at Indian Wells where he holds a 1-2 record, including a round of 32 run in 2018 as a lucky loser. Rublev has reached two Masters 1000 finals this year (Monte Carlo and Cincinnati) and pursues his first trophy since Rotterdam in February.

5. Matteo Berrettini: The Italian backed up his maiden run to a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon with his third straight major quarter-final where Djokovic again had his number in New York. The 25-year-old, a champion at Belgrade and the Queen’s Club, beat Auger-Aliassime in his sole Laver Cup singles outing, but arrives at Indian Wells having never won a match from two main draw appearances.

6. Casper Ruud: The first five-time titlist of 2021, Ruud is on a roll since his second-round loss at the US Open (l. to van de Zandschulp). The Norwegian beat Reilly Opelka in his Laver Cup debut and went on to win his first hard-court title at the San Diego Open (d. Norrie).  He has twice contested qualifying at Indian Wells, where he failed to make the main draw both times.

7. Felix Auger-Aliassime: Despite a defeat to Berrettini in Boston, the 21-year-old returns for his third appearance at Indian Wells on the back of a maiden Grand Slam semi-final showing at the US Open (l. to Medvedev). Sitting 11th in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, the Canadian will be keen to stamp his claim for a Nitto ATP Finals berth in the desert, where his 3-2 record includes a win over then No. 10 Tsitsipas to reach the round of 32 in 2019.

8. Hubert Hurkacz: The Pole added the Metz trophy less than a fortnight ago for his second title of 2021, following his Masters 1000 triumph in Miami. The only top-eight seed to have reached the quarter-finals at Indian Wells (4-1 record), the Pole did so on debut two years ago, when he defeated three Top 30 players in succession – Lucas Pouille, Kei Nishikori and Shapovalov – before falling to eventual runner-up Federer.

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Indian Wells Draw: Rublev, Zverev, Berrettini Press Turin Claims

  • Posted: Oct 06, 2021

World No. 5 Andrey Rublev may get an early shot to avenge last week’s loss to Cameron Norrie following the release of the BNP Paribas Open draw Tuesday.

The Russian could meet the lefty in the fourth round as the Indian Wells Tennis Garden looks to host its award-winning ATP Masters 1000 for the first time since March 2019 due to the pandemic. Fourth-seeded Rublev, who fell to Norrie last week at the San Diego Open, will be looking to shore up his place at the Nitto ATP Finals with a deep run in the desert, as will the likes of Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini.

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Rublev will open against the winner of Spaniards Carlos Taberner and Jaume Munar and is seeded to meet Serb Dusan Lajovic in the third round.

Zverev, who seeks a third Masters 1000 title of the season, has a challenging draw that potentially pits him against two of the brightest young starts in the game. The Olympic gold medallist will open against a qualifier or 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby, who took a set from World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in his most recent match in the fourth round of the US Open. In the third round, the German is seeded to meet 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, himself a recent quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows.

But Alcaraz, who as the 30th seed has a first-round bye, first must navigate a tough opener against former World No. 1 Andy Murray or wily French lefty Adrian Mannarino.

Sixth seed Matteo Berrettini, who is sixth in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, more than 1000 points clear of his next Turin challenger Casper Ruud, begins his campaign against American Denis Kudla or a qualifier. He could meet 31st seed Taylor Fritz in the third round and countryman Jannik Sinner, himself chasing a Turin berth, or John Isner in the fourth round.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev, who can pull within 1000 points of Djokovic in the Race should he win his second Masters 1000 of the season, will open against the winner of Mackenzie McDonald and James Duckworth. He is seeded to meet Serb Filip Krajinovic in the third round and either Reilly Opelka or Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

Men’s main draw action begins Thursday, one day after the women’s main draw commences.

Read: Clijsters returns, Raducanu debuts as Indian Wells draw is revealed

Did You Know?
Players voted The BNP Paribas Open as the best Masters 1000 tournament for six consecutive years between 2014-2019. The award was not given in 2020 due to the pandemic.

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FedEx ATP Rankings Logic Updated

  • Posted: Oct 05, 2021

The ATP has announced an adjustment to the FedEx ATP Rankings logic following prior calendar changes due to COVID-19.

Effective immediately and retroactively, ATP Tour-level tournaments with a ranking drop off date after 9 August 2021, including tournaments played during the revised ranking period (17 August 2020 – 9 August 2021), will be included in a player’s ranking breakdown for 52 weeks, regardless of when the next edition of the tournament commences. The change addresses situations in which a player does not keep his ranking points for 52 weeks due to the earlier scheduling of the same event in the following year.

Due to the adjustment’s impact on players who competed at the 2020 ATP 250 tournament in Nur-Sultan, the first tournament affected by the outlined scenario, and the implications for subsequent entry lists, the ATP, in consultation with the ATP Player Council, has decided to re-run the entry lists that closed in the week of 27 September. This has been done to ensure all acceptances for upcoming tournaments operate under the same entry principles aligned with the latest FedEx ATP Rankings logic.

This adjustment aligns with the traditional FedEx ATP Rankings approach taken prior to the introduction of COVID-19 modifications. Since the Tour’s return from suspension in August 2020, the ATP has remained flexible in its approach towards the FedEx ATP Rankings and will continue making adjustments where necessary to maintain a fair merit-based system for players.

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