The ATP Indian Wells Masters is always one of the most prestigious events of the calendar year, and it’s a welcome sight for all tennis fans. Day 2 sees a number of top players getting their campaigns underway, and we will be offering up our predictions on who will be heading to the next round. So, who is marching on in the sunshine?
ATP Indian Wells Day 2 Predictions
Facundo Bagnis vs Henri Laaksonen
Head-to-head: First meeting
Neither player has had much to shout about this year. Laaksonen has picked up just one main draw win, which came via a 3rd set retirement from Benoit Paire. He’ll be grateful to have been drawn against a similarly ranked player in Bagnis, but his confidence will no doubt be suffering at the moment.
Bagnis much prefers the clay to the Indian Wells hard courts, though his recent results haven’t particularly backed this up. With neither player in great form, this could easily go either way. There will no doubt be various ebbs and flows as both players will find their rhythm and hit a purple patch. Laaksonen is probably the better hard court player, and he should be solid enough to come through this one in a tight battle.
Prediction: Laaksonen in 3
Liam Broady vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Head-to-head: Kecmanovic 1 – 0 Broady
This should be a cracking encounter with both players exhibiting some of the best tennis of their careers right now. Broady has had it tough but has really upped his game in the last couple of years, and should be a regular in these main draws going forward. Though he had to do it the hard way by coming through qualifying, he really showed his worth in his excellent win over Christopher O’Connell.
Kecmanovic has looked brilliant this year. As a promising youngster he fell away for a while, but looks to be right back on track. His aggressive ball-striking is hugely dangerous, and we saw how good he is on the hard courts in Melbourne. Kecmanovic won the only meeting between these two in three sets in Miami last year, and he looks in even better shape now. Broady should be good enough to grab a set and make a great match of it but the Serb should have the edge here.
Prediction: Kecmanovic in 3
Tennys Sandgren vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Head-to-head: First meeting
Given Sandgren is unvaccinated, he’s been unable to play at a number of bigger tournaments this year. In the tournaments he has played, he’s struggled to get any real form together. That said, he did incredibly well to beat John Millman in qualifying to earn his first round spot.
Van de Zandschulp has continued to look a great player since his US Open heroics. He hasn’t had any big runs this year, but he’s been knocked out by excellent opponents and recently suffered with Covid-19. If he has recovered well, I see no reason as to why he can’t have a great run this week. His game suits these courts nicely, and his solid defence should be too good for the erratic Sandgren here. The American will probably have a purple patch, but not much more than that.
Prediction: van de Zandschulp in 3
Ugo Humbert vs Holger Rune
Head-to-head: First meeting
This will be thrilling: two young players full of potential facing against each other. Humbert, while still young, is a fair bit older than his opponent and is one of the more frustrating players on tour. There’s times when you watch him in ATP 500s and 250s where he just takes your breath away with his stunning shot-making. He’s well equipped with a great lefty serve, and his groundstrokes and net play are top notch when he puts it all together. However, he fails to deliver on the big stages too often.
Rune is one of the brightest young talents on tour and has been backed by many for a big future. He’s fearless and genuinely believes he can take on anyone. While he has all the tools to become a great player, his fitness is slightly concerning. This is down to the fact that he suffers with cramping during important matches regularly – and he’ll need to work on this.
Given Humbert has more experience in bigger tournaments, I’ll give him a slight edge here. It’s hard to know when he’s going to be on song, but when he is, he’s a nightmare for anyone. Rune will no doubt make this hugely competitive, but the Frenchman should be able to fend the youngster off.
Prediction: Humbert in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
