Saturday’s BNP Paribas Open doubles final will be an all-American showdown. Two-time former champions and seventh seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will meet countrymen John Isner and Jack Sock in the season’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles title match.

The Bryans prevailed past Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and Argentine Horacio Zeballos 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the final during their 20^th consecutive appearance in Indian Wells.

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The American twins will be going for their 25^th Masters 1000 title as a team and their third Indian Wells title (2013, 2014). The Bryan brothers have won 114 tour-level titles as a team but haven’t hoisted a trophy since 2017 Atlanta.

Isner and Sock upset third seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-2. The Americans won 88 per cent of their first-serve points (28/32) and saved the lone break point they faced.

Isner/Sock won the 2016 Rolex Shanghai Masters, and Sock won the 2015 BNP Paribas Open crown with Canadian Vasek Pospisil. Isner also won the 2011 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome with countryman Sam Querrey.

Marach/Pavic had been the hottest doubles team on the ATP World Tour. They had started the year 21-2, including a 17-match winning streak that included three titles from four finals: Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Murray/Soares), the ASB Classic (d. Mirnyi/Oswald) and the Australian Open (d. Cabal/Farah). Their win streak was snapped in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament final (l. to Herbert/Mahut).

Milos Raonic might not feel as if he’s playing 100 per cent like his old self, but, early into his comeback season, the Canadian has already returned to familiar territory on the ATP World Tour.

The 2016 Indian Wells finalist (l. to Djokovic) reached his third BNP Paribas Open semi-final (2015) on Friday, beating Sam Querrey of the U.S. for the third consecutive time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. The 6’5” right-hander is into his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final in 17 months (2016 Paris). Raonic will next meet the winner of Friday’s second quarter-final, sixth seed and 2013 finalist Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina or 31^st seed Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.

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Raonic came through the old-school way, too – serving and volleying and attacking the net against Querrey, who was playing in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final. The 32^nd seed rushed the net 43 times, winning about half of those attempts (21). He also slapped 43 winners to only 25 unforced errors.

But it was Querrey who was rolling early in their semi-final. When he stepped up to the line to serve at 5-4, the American had lost only three points on serve. But nerves struck Querrey, who had played in a Wimbledon semi-final but never a Masters 1000 quarter-final, and he lost his way. Raonic won 17 of the set’s final 21 points, including two breaks of serve, to take the opener.

The home favourite Querrey, however, came back quickly, breaking twice in the second set and ridding himself of any first-set flashbacks by winning the set with a love service game. The decider came down to the wire, mirroring their tight FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Raonic broke in the eighth game but, as he tried to serve out the match, Querrey had three opportunities to break, all of which were saved by the Canadian.

Sam Querrey often visited the BNP Paribas Open with his family growing up, so it comes as no surprise that the Californian favours the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in March.

After three Masters 1000 quarter-final appearances – 2007 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, 2008 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and 2012 Rolex Paris Masters – the American could reach his first semi-final, should he beat Milos Raonic on Friday in Indian Wells.

This week, he reflected on his Masters 1000 journey, which includes teaming up with John Isner for the 2011 Internazionali BNL d’Italia doubles crown.

What is your favourite Masters 1000 tournament and why?
I love all of the Masters 1000 tournaments, but Indian Wells is probably my favourite as I grew up in California and all of my friends and family can come down here and watch. It’s a great venue and an amazing atmosphere. I do enjoy the golf when I’m here, but I haven’t played as much in the past couple of years. I definitely want to get back into it and this is the place to do so.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win?
The Masters 1000 I’d most like to win is Indian Wells.

Which is your favourite Masters 1000 centre court to play on?
It has to be Indian Wells!

What is your favourite Masters 1000 memory?
One time at the Miami tournament I got to do batting practice with the Marlins and at Cincinnati I got to do batting practice with the Reds. I’m a big baseball fan, so the opportunity to do that was really fun.

Do you recall when and where you made your Masters 1000 debut?
Yes, it was in Indian Wells! I played Bobby Reynolds in the first round and won, then I lost then No. 6-ranked James Blake in the second round. I won the first set 6-1, then in my head I thought, ‘I’ll be ranked No. 1 in no time.’ He then came back and won easily.

What has been your best Masters 1000 win?
It has to be against Novak Djokovic in Paris [the 2012 Rolex Paris Masters, 0-6 7-6(5), 6-4] a few years ago. It was my first victory over him and to do it at a Masters 1000 was pretty special.

What has been your toughest match at a Masters 1000?
I played Dominic Thiem in Rome last year [one of the ATP World Tour best matches of 2017] and I had a couple of match points in the third set [3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7)]. It was tough, because it was so close against a great clay-court opponent. It would have been a great win, but he snuck by me. He is an incredible player.

What is the toughest part about Masters 1000 tournaments?
You can play against a player in the Top 40 in the first match. That’s tough. You have to win six matches, if you’re not seeded, against Top 50 players and against guys in the Top 10 eventually. That’s why they are so difficult to win!