Round of 32 action is on upon us at the ATP BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with top seeds in action and young hopefuls seeking to make their mark as well. The 2022 edition of the ATP Indian Wells has got off to an exciting start and this week promises great tennis through out. As ever, we at LWOT preview and predict all matches scheduled. We have four matches in this article, and the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
ATP Indian Wells Day 5 Predictions
Cameron Norrie vs Nikoloz Basilashvili
Head to head – Norrie 2-0 Basiliashvili
It’s a repeat of last year’s final. The defending champion Cameron Norrie takes on Nicoloz Basilashvili for the third time after beating him on both previous occasions. Cameron Norrie is at a career-high ranking of 12 and already a title winner this year. Coming off a final round defeat in Acapulco to Rafael Nadal, Norrie is a dangerous opponent for anyone in the draw. Apart from the final appearance in Doha, Basilashvili has blown cold this year. Expect Norrie to get the better of the Georgian again.
Prediction: Norrie in 2
Benjamin Bonzi vs Jannik Sinner
Head to head – Sinner 1-0 Bonzi
Jannik Sinner has had a strong start to 2022 and the conditions at Indian Wells should suit the Italian. Sinner is an aggressive baseliner and the courts at Indian Wells are skiddier and bouncy enough to help Sinner power through opponents. Benjamin Bonzi has done well to reach the round of 32 by beating decent quality opponents but there is a quality gap between the Frenchman and the Italian. Expect Sinner to dominate the baseline rallies and move the Frenchman around enough to create attacking opportunities.
Predictions: Sinner in 2
Nick Kyrgios vs Casper Ruud
Head to head – Ruud 1-0 Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios returns to the tennis court for the first time since Australian Open in January. The Aussie seems to be enjoying the conditions at Indian Wells enough to blow away enough to blow away his first two opponents with extreme ease. It’ll be interesting to see how the Aussie handles Casper Ruud’s consistency from the baseline. The service will be key for Kyrgios to wrestle control of the match and not get sucked into elongated rallies. The Norwegian won in Buenos Aires and he’ll be looking to continue the momentum. Expect a tight tussle between the two with the Norwegian just edging it on the basis of his superior consistent baseline play.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Rafael Nadal vs Daniel Evans
Head to head – Nadal 2-0 Evans
Rafael Nadal survived a mighty scare against the young Sebastian Korda having to come back from a 2-5 deficit in the third set. The Spaniard will look back at that match and try to play like he did in the first set. Daniel Evans is a tricky opponent and can make things complicated for the 2022 Australian Open champion. That being said, the Brit’s single-handed backhand is mightily exposed to the cross court spin heavy forehand of Nadal. The Spaniard should regroup well after a day off and be at his attacking best as he’s been all year so far. Expect Nadal to get a routine win against a player he is never lost to on both previous occasions.
Prediction: Nadal in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
