ATP Round 2 action kicks off on Day 3 in Indian Wells as some of tennis’ biggest names take the court for the first time this week. The conditions in Indian Wells are as dry and slow as ever pulling back the advantage for some of the games top servers. One of those top servers, Reilly Opelka, will be in action on day 3. #5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will also be in action squaring off against American Jack Sock. Here are those day 3 predictions, and much more.
ATP Indian Wells Day 3 Predictions
Filip Krajinovic vs Gael Monfils
Head-to-head: Monfils leads 3-0
#26 seed Gael Monfils will be playing his first competitive match in over a month as he takes on Filip Krajinovic in Round 2 at Indian Wells. Monfils, who made a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open in January, has played just one match since then. His opponent, Filip Krajinovic, is coming off of a three-set Round 1 win over fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic. Krajinovic fought through some service issues to take the match in just over two hours. Monfils holds the head-to-head advantage over Krajinovic with all three wins coming on the hard court. I will be curious to see how Monfils looks after a long break from compeitive action, but do believe he will find a way to overcome the Serbian. The 35-year-old Monfils seems to be focusing his efforts on Majors and Masters 1000 events at this point in his career.
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Reilly Opelka vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: Opelka leads 2-0
#17 seed and top-ranked American Reilly Opelka looks to bring his 250 success up the Masters 1000 level as he takes on young Italian Lorenzo Musetti in Round 2 at Indian Wells. Opelka comes into this event having reached the finals in the last two tournaments he competed in. The 24-year-old took home the title in Dallas while falling to Cameron Norrie in the Delray Beach final a week later. Young Lorenzo Musetti has also found some form after a disapointing end to the 2021 season. He is 5-3 in his last eight matches, including a victory over #10 ranked Hubert Hurkacz. Opelka and Musetti met two times last season with the American winning both matchups in straight sets. I like Opelka to once again best Musetti in straight sets. He is in impeccable form having been broken just two times in his last two tournaments.
Prediction: Opelka in 2
Nick Kyrgios vs Federico Delbonis
Head-to-head: Kyrgios leads 1-0
Wild card entrant Nick Kyrgios will be looking to defeat back to back Argentinians as he takes on #32 seed Federico Delbonis in Round 2. Kyrgios bested Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-0 in Round 1. This is Kyrgios’ first event since the Australian Open as he looks to replicate his 2017 run to the quarterfinals here at Indian Wells. Federico Delbonis has to like his place in the world rankings as he is seeded at this Masters 1000 event. With that said, Delbonis has won just 27.7% of his tour matches on the hard court compared to 56.4% on clay. Yes, Indian Wells plays slower than most hard courts, but that does not make it clay. I see Nick Kyrgios taking this one in straight sets.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 2
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jack Sock
Head-to-head: First meeting
#5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and wild card entrant Jack Sock will meet for the first time in Round 2 at Indian Wells. Sock hit 77% of his first serves to best Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-1 6-1 in Round 1. Stefanos Tsitsipas has played some stellar tennis to start his 2022 campaign. Holding a 14-6 record on the year, the Greece native has reached at least the semifinals of three of the four events he has played in this season. Jack Sock, on the other hand, has been working his way through Challenger tournaments while receiving some wild card entries into ATP level action in the U.S. Sock has not beaten a Top 5 player since 2017 and I find it very hard to believe that streak will end here.
Prediction: Tsitsipas in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
