The draw is out for this year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with the “big four” being named as the top four seeds in the men’s draw for the first time since 2012. Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray will certainly have their fair share of tough matches as danger is lurking in every section of the draw: let the drama begin.
“The Big Four” Will make Indian Wells even more Special
Novak Djokovic, arguably the in-form player on the ATP circuit this year, is rightly the top seed at the first Masters event of the year; he has been drawn in the top half along with Australian Open runner-up and number four seed Andy Murray. Defending champ Djokovic is seeded to face David Ferrer in the quarter-finals should they both get there, but the Serb has been handed a rather tricky opening opponent in the form of talented Cypriot Marcos Bagdahtis or Jiri Vasely. Given he is the top seed Novak will be expected to come through his opening rounds and will be set to face Andy Murray in the semi-finals—a repeat of this year’s Australian Open final.
Andy Murray is a player who likes this type of outdoor hard-court and is also expected to come through his opening rounds, but could run into his first sign of trouble in the quarter-finals where he is seeded to face the extremely talented Japanese player Kei Nishikori who has firmly established himself as one not to be underestimated.
Also in the top half of the draw is current US Open champion and number ten seed Marin Cilic who is playing his first tournament back since taking some time off due to an injury last year. As well as Cilic other dangerous players in that section of the draw are big-serving Kevin Anderson and home favourite John Isner, who could face Novak in the third round.
Joining them as potential threats in the top half is big serving leftie Feliciano Lopez and unpredictable Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who is yet to get a win on the ATP tour this year, but on his day can trouble any of the top four. Both players could find themselves booking an early meeting with number five seed and most fans’ dark horse of the competition, Nishikori.
Four time champion Roger Federer has been drawn in the bottom half, perhaps the more dangerous half of the draw. The number two seed will have some very experienced company down there with the likes of number three seed Rafael Nadal, whom he could face in the semi-final, former Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka and the always dangerous Czech Tomas Berdych both of whom the 17-time Grand Slam champ could face in the quarter-finals.
Federer could find himself straight in at the deep end for his opening match and play the big serving Pole Jerzy Janowicz should he come through his opening match. Janowicz, a player with a serve as big as he is tall, will be more than a handful for the Swiss player should they meet in the second round. Roger will be expected to come through his opening matches, but he could face the man who sent him packing from this year’s Australian Open in the third round, the in-form Andreas Seppi.
As well as Seppi, Federer could also meet fellow countryman ‘Stan The Man’: the seventh seed is in the same section of the draw as number nine seed Tomas Berdych and resurgent Ivo Karlovic who has been seeded 21 in this year’s tournament. Anyone of those three men could make it to the quarter-finals and could potentially cause an upset for the four-time champion.
2013 winner Rafael Nadal has also been seeded in the bottom half of the draw, and like Federer his section is full of dangerous opponents. Nadal could face talented Frenchman Jermey Chardy as early as the third round, and potentially Gilles Simon or Richard Gasquet in the fourth round, both of whom have been in relatively good form so far in 2015. Should Rafa make it through his opening rounds he is expected to meet either Milos Raonic or Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals, two players that proved their worth in 2014 and established themselves as top ten players not to be taken lightly.
Potential matches to look out for throughout the tournament could be a battle of the temperamental players in the third round between Gulbis and Fognini; a fourth round match up between Ranoic and Dimitrov; a third round all-French affair between Simon and Gasquet. And a mouthwatering rematch in the third round between Roger Federer and Andreas Seppi. It’s set to be a dramatic year in Indian Wells in 2015.
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