The men’s final four are set and we are in for one hell of an end to this tournament. All four of our remaining players are ranked in the top 20 in the men’s game. Rafael Nadal looks the favourite to win Indian Wells as he remains unbeaten so far in 2022. However, Andrey Rublev or Taylor Fritz will be determined to stop him should he get past Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. It’s all to play for and, as we know in tennis, anything can happen. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what we think will happen in our ATP Indian Wells semifinal predictions.
ATP Indian Wells Semifinal Predictions
Andrey Rublev vs Taylor Fritz
Head-to-head: 2 – 2
This should be a brilliant tennis match to watch. Both these men have slowly established themselves as serious contenders in most tournaments they play in. Rublev has won several ATP 500 titles over the last two years. However, he is yet to win anything bigger despite being one of the top players in the world over the last 12 months. Nevertheless, the Russian is on a 13 match win streak and is playing some of the best tennis of his career at the moment.
He has an immense forehand that can blast anyone off the court, even on the slower surfaces at Indian Wells. He also has a very capable service game that will pick him up a few easy points in this match. Rublev enters this match as the deserving favourite, but will have to produce something near his best if he wants to get past an in-form Fritz.
The American has shown flashes of top ten tennis for what seems like an age now. However, he hasn’t managed to string that level together consistently enough to climb inside the top ten. That looks set to change in 2022 though, with the America already set to enjoy a new career-high ranking regardless of how things go on Saturday. Fritz has a great game off both wings and a punishing serve. His movement is good for someone as long as he is but remains a slight weakness as does his lack of variety. In fact, neither of these players offers much in terms of shot and game plan variation. This match will likely be a hitting contest. If that turns out to be the case, Rublev has the clear edge and should win a tight match here.
Prediction: Rublev in 3
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Rafael Nadal vs Carlos Alcaraz
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Nadal
Many will view this meeting – and any others these two have in the next few years – as a passing of the torch moment. Nadal is a generational talent from Spain who has been on of the best players in the world for two decades. Alcaraz looks set to follow a similar path if the early showings in his career are anything to go by. The youngster plays fearless, aggressive tennis. He is also one of the more capable athletes on the men’s tour. he glides round the court effortlessly and has a knack for making ridiculous shots from incredible positions. Remind you of anyone? However, as good as he has been over the last twelve months, he enters this match as a massive underdog given the form of his fellow countryman this year.
Nadal is yet to lose in 2022. He recently separated himself from the pack with a 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne. He followed that up with a title in Acapulco and is now two wins away from a third title this year. That being said, he is very lucky to be here at all. He was the beneficiary of a Nick Kyrgios meltdown in the last round. The Aussie served for the first set before imploding in spectacular fashion. While Nadal was probably the better player overall, the Aussie could have snuck out with a straight sets win on another day. Still, Nadal’s win streak of 19 remains intact and he looks a good bet to extend it to 20 here. Experience matters in big tournaments and he has that in abundance. I expect that to be the difference in what should be another tight semifinal encounter.
Predictions: Nadal in 3
