By Tony Fairbairn
- Carlos Alcaraz prepares for tough title defence as Novak Djokovic could await once again
- Top Seeds: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud
- British Interest: Jack Draper [13], Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley
INDIAN WELLS, USA – Carlos Alcaraz could face Novak Djokovic in an Australian Open rematch as the Spaniard aims to defend his Indian Wells title.
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[1] Alexander Zverev
Best Result: Quarter-Final (2021, 2024)
So far Zverev has failed to capitalise on Jannik Sinner’s absence and now the German needs to live up to expectations if he is to get past the quarter-final stage in California for the first time in his career.
Zverev’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Tallon Griekspoor | H2H: Zverev leads 6-1
- R3: Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard [29] | H2H: First Meeting
- R4: Frances Tiafoe [16] | H2H: Zverev leads 8-1
- QF: Stefanos Tsitsipas [8] | H2H: Tsitsipas leads 10-6
- SF: Casper Ruud [4] | H2H: Zverev leads 4-2
- F: Carlos Alcaraz [2] | H2H: Zverev leads 6-5
Zverev has some potentially difficult matches in the early stages of the tournament as Tallon Griekspoor and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard have the game to upset the German. In the fourth round, Acapulco champion Tomas Machac will aim to be aggressive and play Zverev off the court while the in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas will await in the quarter-finals. Ultimately the German will find it difficult to reach the semi-finals unless he finds something special quickly as he has lacked confidence and consistency in recent weeks.
[2] Carlos Alcaraz
Best Result: Champion (2023, 2024)
Alcaraz is aiming to win his third consecutive Indian Wells title as he looks to bounce back from an early exit in Doha.
Alcaraz’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Quentin Halys | H2H: First Meeting
- R3: Denis Shapovalov [27] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 1-0
- R4: Grigor Dimitrov [14] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 3-2
- QF: Novak Djokovic [6] | H2H: Djokovic leads 5-3
- SF: Taylor Fritz [3] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 2-0
- F: Alexander Zverev [1] | H2H: Zverev leads 6-5
Alcaraz has a brutal draw in Indian Wells which starts against Dubai semi-finalist Quentin Halys and then a blockbuster match with Denis Shapovalov could await in the third round. A potential fourth round contest against rival Sebastian Korda could set the scene for the Australian Open rematch between the Spaniard and Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. The two-time defending champion will need to bring his A game if he wants to go all the way but the Spaniard has proven in the past he’s more than capable of saving his best tennis when it matters the most.
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[3] Taylor Fritz
Best Result: Champion (2022)
The 2022 champion is seeking a big improvement in form as he aims to take advantage of his high ranking.
Fritz’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Sebastian Baez | H2H: Fritz leads 5-0
- R3: Alejandro Tabilo [30] | H2H: Fritz leads 3-0
- R4: Jack Draper [13] | H2H: Tied at 2-2
- QF: Andrey Rublev [7] | H2H: Fritz leads 5-4
- SF: Carlos Alcaraz [2] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 2-0
- F: Alexander Zverev [1] | H2H: Fritz leads 7-5
Fritz has a fairly comfortable start to the tournament as he has an combined 8-0 head-to-head lead over Sebastian Baez and Alejandro Tabilo. A very tough fourth round awaits Fritz in the form of Doha finalist Jack Draper or Dubai finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime. Being in the tougher half of the draw will be a big blow for Fritz but the American thrives on the big occasions and if he can bring his best tennis then he will be a contender to win his second Indian Wells title.
[4] Casper Ruud
Best Result: Quarter-Final (2024)
After a decent start to the season, Ruud will now aim to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells for the first time in his career.
Ruud’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Marcos Giron | H2H: Ruud leads 2-1
- R3: Alexei Popyrin [26] | H2H: First Meeting
- R4: Lorenzo Musetti [15] | H2H: Tied at 1-1
- QF: Daniil Medvedev [5] | H2H: Medvedev leads 3-0
- SF: Alexander Zverev [1] | H2H: Zverev leads 4-2
- F: Carlos Alcaraz [2] | H2H: Alcaraz leads 4-1
Ruud’s consistency and aggression will be put to the test early on against Marcos Giron before a third round clash against the out of sorts Alexei Popyrin. In the fourth round Arthur Fils or Lorenzo Musetti would face the Norwegian with his quarter-final opponents including the erratic Daniil Medvedev, Tommy Paul or the in-form Jiri Lehecka. This is a tough yet opportunistic draw for Ruud and the fourth seed will fancy his chances of reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals for the first time in his career.
Indian Wells begins on the 5th of March and ends on the 16th of March.
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