Day 3 at the ATP BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, is filled with intriguing matches as many of the 32 seeded players will be in action after receiving a Round 1 bye. There is a lot at stake in the first leg of the Sunshine Double, and we should expect to see the best players in the world come out motivated and ready to play. Many of the top seeds are in action on Friday, including No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek squares off against veteran Aussie Jordan Thompson as he looks to inch closer to that elusive World No. 1 ranking. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all other happenings around the grounds of Indian Wells. We split the rest of the day’s matches between three articles. One features Andrey Rublev vs Jiri Lehecka, another headlines Daniil Medvedev vs Brandon Nakashima, and the third features Yibing Wu vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. But who will advance?
ATP Indian Wells Day 3 Predictions
Pedro Cachin vs Alexander Zverev
Head-to-Head: first meeting
No. 12 seed Alexander Zverev is still looking to capture his 2022 form as he works his way back from an ankle injury that kept him out for over six months. After a 3-6 start to the season, the 25-year-old German reached the semifinals in Dubai last week and is starting to find his rhythm. He must be patient on Friday when he takes on Pedri Cachin. The 27-year-old Argentine dominated the Challenger Tour in 2022 but has yet to translate that success to the ATP level. He is just 2-8 this season and has never beaten a top-20 player. Cachin is a clay-court ringer and will force Zverev to hit a few extra balls every point. In the end, the baseline power of the German will wear down Cachin.
Prediction: Zverev in 2
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Cristian Garin
Head-to-Head: Nishioka 1-0 Garin
Yoshihito has looked sloppy since his run to the second week of the 2023 Australian Open. He is just 1-2 in matches since that Slam but should favor the conditions of Southern California. He squares off against Cristian Garin on Friday. The Chilean has yet to drop a set in three matches this week after rolling through qualifying and Daniel Elahi Galan in round one. These lefties last met four years ago, with Nishioka besting Garin in straight sets. I expect a baseline battle that lasts over three hours. However, I trust Nishioka to pull the string successfully when it matters most.
Prediction: Nishioka in 3
Matteo Berrettini vs Taro Daniel
Head-to-Head: Berrettini 3-1 Daniel
No. 20 seed Matteo Berrettini squares off against Taro Daniel in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. Berrettini leads this head-to-head 3-1 and has won six of the last seven sets they have played. In 2023, however, the Italian’s level has not been up to his standard. He has last four of his previous six matches and has not risen to the challenge during the biggest moments. Daniel already has three wins this week in Indian Wells. He won two qualifying matches and took down Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 7-5. The 30-year-old Japanese native will force Berrettini to hit, but the Italian’s power from the baseline should prevail in this match.
Prediction: Berrettini in 2
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-Head: Tsitsipas 2-0 Thompson
Stefanos Tsitsipas comes into the BNP Paribas Open with title aspirations. The No. 2 seed holds a record of 11-2 this season and is a few significant results in March away from being the No. 1 ranked player in the world. He squares off against Jordan Thompson in his opening-round match in Indian Wells. The Greek has won all five sets they have previously played and seems to have the tailormade style to handle the Aussie. Thompson will look to muck up this match with a variety of shots, but he will find trouble trying to pick through the game of Tstitsipas. The Greek should roll in straight sets.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
