We begin the first ATP 1000 event of the season with the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The first round doesn’t feature the seeded players but will consist of thirty-two clashes played across two days. Can Jack Draper be one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the draw? He takes on Christopher O’Connell on Wednesday; who do you think will advance?
ATP Indian Wells Day 1 Predictions
Jakub Mensik vs Seong-chan Hong
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jakub Mensik received a wildcard here after his recent Doha/Dubai efforts, and he absolutely deserves it. The Czech teenager is the real deal and while like everyone he still has lots to learn and some growing pains head, his game is way more complete than most people thought after just seeing the power of the serve and groundstrokes. Seong-chan Hong has been in some decent form this year and qualifying here is a nice reward for him, but Mensik will tough for him to contain.
Prediction: Mensik in 2
Thiago Seyboth Wild vs J.J. Wolf
Head-to-head: First meeting
J.J. Wolf lost his first three matches of the season in Australia before missing almost two months of action with an injury. We still don’t know much a bout his physical state and that definitely makes analyzing this matchup tougher. What we do know is that Thiago Seyboth Wild played awesome in ATP Indian Wells qualifying, barely dropping games against Adam Walton and Liam Broady. These courts give the Brazilian a lot of time to explode into his forehand, and given the match rhythm advantage, he’s the favorite.
Prediction: Seyboth Wild in 3
Juncheng Shang vs Jordan Thompson
Head-to-head: First meeting
Juncheng Shang had only played one match since the Australian Open, but he seemed fit again in the qualifying with an incredible performance to save five match points against Yoshihito Nishioka. Jordan Thompson is a bit of a tricky draw as the Australian is on top of his game at the moment. He’s dominating points behind his first serve and getting close to being a seed in events like this. It’s tough not to back Thompson right now, but in a perfect world, the variety of Shang could be a threat to him. Let’s see if the youngster can deliver at ATP Indian Wells.
Prediction: Thompson in 3
Jack Draper vs Christopher O’Connell
Head-to-head: O’Connell 1-0
How far can a healthy Jack Draper go is one of the burning questions for this year. He still can’t avoid some physical issues from time to time, but we’ll blame his retirement in Acapulco on the brutal Mexico conditions and the stomach bug he was fighting that week. His level for the most part was really good though and it feels like he might be targeting the Top 20 this year. Christopher O’Connell is no pushover, but especially after playing very well in Indian Wells last year, Draper should like his chances here.
Prediction: Draper in 2
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports
