By Chris Oddo | Wednesday March 8, 2017
The quarter of death will be tough for Roger and Rafa, but fans with tickets prior to the quarterfinals could be in for the time of their lives.
Photo Source: Matthew Stockman/Getty
Now that we’ve seen the draws (and basked in the glory and absolute craziness of the men’s singles draw), it’s time for a quick rundown of the draw winners and losers at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open. Here are 8 quick takes:
Winner: Fans who bought tickets for the early rounds.
Men’s singles action starts on Friday which means that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday could be massive days for the men’s side at Indian Wells. Third-round action for the lower half will likely happen on Tuesday, when Novak Djokovic and Juan Del Potro could potentially meet, as well as Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios. On Wednesday, the men play the round of 16, which means that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could meet in their earliest match at any tournament since 2004 when they met for the first time at Miami.
That’s why fans who didn’t go for tickets for quarterfinal round and beyond this year at Indian Wells are celebrating.
Loser: Fans who wanted another Roger vs. Rafa final
If they both win their first two rounds, Federer and Nadal will meet in the round of 16—only one of them can advance any further. The good news is that the early meeting increases the odds that we will actually see them play.
There has been a lot of debate about the jam-packed quarter in the lower half of the draw which features Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev. Is it a good thing for the tournament? Is it a bad thing? Who has the best chances of actually making the quarterfinals? Really, it's hard to say if this a good thing or bad thing. It is a shame that only one of the aforementioned six players has a shot to reach the quarterfinals but the draw gods have the final say in such matters. All we can do is be excited for these mouthwatering early-round matches, and be happy that a lot of players are going to have a long weekend to be lazy once the quarterfinals begin.
Winner: Andy Murray
Andy avoided the quarter of death and looks to be in good position to go deep in this draw. It’s something that the World No.1 has not done very often at Indian Wells. He has only reached the semifinals or beyond in three of his 11 previous appearances. He matches up pretty well with all the players in his section. If the seeds hold his quarterfinal opponent would be either No.11-seeded David Goffin (Murray leads H2H, 5-0) or No.7-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Murray leads H2H, 14-3), and in the semis he’d face either No.4-seeded Stan Wawrinka or No.8-seeded Dominic Thiem, but it’s no guarantee that either will make it that far.
Loser: Agnieszka Radwanska
The crafty Pole could face Ekaterina Makarova in her first match (second round) which is by no means a piece of cake. If she gets through that she could face the blossoming Ana Konjuh in the third round. Remember that Konjuh upset Radwanska in straight sets at last year’s U.S. Open.
Winner: Madison Keys
Serena Williams’ withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Open draw moved Madison Keys over to a different section. Instead of facing the highest-ranked non-seeded player (was Daria Kasatkina) she faces either Mariana Duque-Marino or Patricia Maria Tig in her first match (second round). That should make things easier for the hard-hitting American in her first match of the season.
Loser: Monica Puig
Monica Puig was slated to face Serena Williams in the second round after a first-round with American Wild Card Danielle Collins. Instead of Serena Williams she’ll now face Karolina Pliskova if she gets to the second round. Either way, not an easy draw.
Winner: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
The Frenchman has been having a solid season and he could keep the party rolling if he takes advantage of a section of the draw that features a lot of players that would probably prefer to play him on a clay court.
Tsonga could face either Fabio Fognini or Konstantin Kravchuk in the second round, and if the seeds hold he’ll face No.27-seeded Pablo Cuevas in the third round. Tsonga has made the quarterfinals in two of the last four years at Indian Wells. Could this be the year he gets one step further?
Loser: Fans of Serena Williams, Milos Raonic and Richard Gasquet
Very sad that Serena Williams will miss tennis’ version of March madness due to a knee injury. Her return to the BNP Paribas Open was one of the great stories of 2015, and after she fell short in the final in 2016, many hoped that this was the year she would return to the winner’s circle. Milos Raonic (hamstring) and Richard Gasquet (appendicitis) will also be missed.
Winner: Kei Nishikori
Nishikori is also tucked neatly into a workable section of the draw, far away from the quarter of death. Indian Wells has never been Kei’s best tournament, but he did reach his first Indian Wells quarterfinal last season. He’s in a quarter where he could face No.14-seeded Lucas Pouille in the round of 16 and No.8-seeded Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals if the seeds hold. If he’s on his game, this could be a good chance to make a splash for Nishikori.