The opening day of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells features a slew of entertaining matches on the schedule. None of the seeds are in action, but there is potential for upsets and Masters 1000 breakthroughs. As always, we here at LWOT have every match covered from the Californian desert with 16 matches in a jam-packed Wednesday. Who do you think will advance into the second round at ATP Indian Wells?
ATP Indian Wells Day 1 Predictions
Ilya Ivashka vs Roman Safiullin
Head-to-head: Ivashka 1-1 Safiullin
Ivashka is winless since October. Safiullin, for his part, has enjoyed a relatively successful stint in that timespan. The Russian reached an ATP semifinal in Tel Aviv in the backend of 2022. And last month he won the Koblenz Challenger with a series of three-set victories. Confidence is still an issue for the Belarusian and Safiullin should be expected to have a significant edge.
Prediction: Safiullin in 3
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Jason Kubler vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Kubler 2-0 Sonego
Kubler came mighty close to scoring one of the biggest wins of his career in Doha when he led Auger-Aliassime by a set before bowing out in three. He will want to use that performance as a launchpad to more success on a singles court. Sonego hasn’t beaten Kubler in two matches and that will be on the back of his mind. This should be a serve-oriented matchup and both players will want to keep points short. But that is easier said than done on the slow-playing surface at Indian Wells. Sonego will have the edge with his extreme power off the ground if rallies extend beyond five shots. The Italian is also coming off a decent run in Dubai where conditions are not too dissimilar.
Prediction: Sonego in 3
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Marcos Giron vs Aleksandar Kovacevic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Kovacevic is inching closer to a top-100 breakthrough. Realistically, he will need to win at least two matches at the desert to do that. That should not be a lot to ask for given the kind of form he is in. He’s captured two ATP Challenger titles, in Cleveland and more recently in Waco where he defeated Alexandre Muller. Having received a wild card in the main draw, he will be keen to impress. Giron, however, is as tough as they come. The 29-year-old has reached three ATP quarterfinals this year, but worryingly for him, he has lost his last two matches as the outright favorite. With Kovacevic barely missing his shots right now, we like the wild card’s chances here.
Prediction: Kovacevic in 3
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Jiri Lehecka vs Arthur Rinderknech
Head-to-head: first meeting
Lehecka enjoyed a Grand Slam breakthrough at this year’s Australian Open. He is perpetually on the cusp of great things. His performances in the Middle East showed he has what it takes to compete with the big guns, even though that loss to Andy Murray will sting for quite some time. Rinderknech is not at his strongest right now and recently went the Challenger route to find his footing. The Czech should be winning here.
Prediction: Lehecka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
