The 96-man draw at the ATP Indian Wells Masters has been sliced away to 32 men quite nicely. Some of those 32 have already gone on to book their spots in the Round of 16, and we preview and predict the fate of the other remaining matches for you. As always, we here at LWOT will predict every match, with the other four matches in a separate article.
ATP Indian Wells Day 6 Predictions
Cristian Garin vs Alex de Minaur
Head to head – Garin 0-1 de Minaur
Both players have had a decent 2021 with Cristian Garin winning one and Alex de Minaur winning two titles this year. The Chilean’s ranking currently stands at 17 and that is commensurate with his improved game in recent years. However, there’s still room for improvement for Garin when it comes to being consistent on faster surfaces.
de Minaur is a defensive beast wherever he plays, but perhaps what is understated is his groundstrokes are well suited for quicker courts. Indian Wells is by no means the quickest court on tour but the Australian should be looking for a good result here. He has already beaten Garin once in straight sets but this encounter should be more close. Expect Garin to fight well but de Minaur should be the one progressing.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Pablo Carreno Busta vs Karen Khachanov
Head to head – Carreno Busta 3-3 Khachanov
This should be highly entertaining. Their head to head makes this matchup even more intriguing. Karen Khachanov has dominated their hard court meeting winning three out of four while Pablo Carreno Busta has won both their clay court meetings. 2021 though hasn’t been good for Khachanov as much as it has been for Carreno Busta. The Spaniard has won two titles this year and is a vastly improved player on hard courts.
Khachanov should be the one to start well and wrestle the upper hand but Carreno Busta is bound to be more consistent as the match progresses. Expect the Spaniard to notch up a hard fought win here.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 3
Matteo Berrettini vs Taylor Fritz
Head to head – Berrettini 0-1 Fritz
Matteo Berrettini will look to keep his great 2021 season going with a super result here. Anything less than a quarterfinal appearance would be below par for the Italian and fortunately he’s made a good start. Taylor Fritz has beaten him in their solitary meeting but that shouldn’t have any bearing on this match. Expect Berrettini to overpower Fritz from the baseline and to protect his backhand well against the crosscourt backhand of Fritz.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Andy Murray vs Alexander Zverev
Head to head – Murray 2-0 Zverev
Andy Murray’s fans would’ve seen the draw and instantly prayed that Alexander Zverev loses early. That didn’t happen and as a result we have our match of the day. Murray enters this match with some confidence after his win over young Carlos Alcaraz. The Brit can still keep pace with the best of the players as he showcased against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open. That being said, Zverev has been his solid self for the most part of the year and is a clear favorite for the championship here.
Expect a battle like no other has Murray still serves very well and can defend the heavy ball strikes of Zverev. It’s the being aggressive that’s going to be a problem for Murray while Zverev should have no issues playing the attacking brand of tennis he plays.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
