By Chris Oddo

(March 6, 2013) -- Tennis fans don't need to be told that Indian Wells is a must-see event on the tennis calendar.

Nestled in the jaw-droppingly beautiful environs of the Coachella Valley, the tournament has always evoked an ethereal bliss from both players and fans who make the annual pilgrimage (go once, and you'll yearn for it every year thereafter).

And since Larry Ellison took over the tournament in 2009, saving the event's previous shareholders from economic hardship and averting a possible sale of the event to Asia, things have only gotten better at the BNP Paribas Open.

Fans can now relax in the knowledge that the event is safe and sound in California for the foreseeable future, and get down to the business at hand. Namely, the world class tennis to be played.

With that in mind, here's a look at six compelling story lines for this year's event.

1. Nole's on Fire

Two years ago, Novak Djokovic came to Indian Wells with a 12-0 record and an Australian Open title in tow. When he left, after defeating Roger Federer in the semis and Rafael Nadal in the final, he was 18-0, and the world was shaking its head in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

This year, the numbers are largely the same, but the disbelief is gone. Novak Djokovic has added five Grand Slams to his body of work in the last two seasons, and all signs are pointing to more in the very near future. Many said, and still believe, that it would be absolutely impossible for Djokovic to top his transcendent 2011 accomplishments. He started the year with 41 consecutive wins and took three of the year's four Grand Slams, after all.

It might be highly unlikely, even next to impossible, that Djokovic can run the table again like he did in 2011, but there is something about the way that Djokovic has played this season that says "Impossible is nothing." If he wins this tournament, look out world.

2. Rafa's Return

Watching Rafael Nadal run roughshod over Nicolas Almagro and then completely destroy David Ferrer in Acapulco was a thing of beauty. To see this swashbuckling, scintillating warrior do his thing on a tennis court, it's simply awe inspiring. He may not be all the way back yet, and there may be as many things to fear as there are to love about Nadal's return to hardcourts this early in his comeback from a 223-day absence from the tour.

But strip away the worry, and spend some time watching this rare phenom go about his business. If you've heard people say that the game misses Rafa and thought that the doleful tone was a tad too sentimental, then I suggest you watch Nadal play a few big points this week. If Nadal, in all his physical, churning urgency, isn't good for the game, then I don't know what is...

3. The Race for No. 2

The long and short of it: If Andy Murray wins Indian Wells, he's guaranteed to jump to No. 2 in the rankings. If Murray reaches the final and loses, then Roger Federer will need a semifinal performance or better to retain the No. 2 spot.

Even though Federer will skip Miami later in March, his round of 32 loss last year to Andy Roddick, coupled with Murray's final appearance there last year means he won't necessarily be taking a big rankings hit. So the battle could be a recurring theme in the clay court season as well.

4. Fish Makes his Return

Think playing Indian Wells isn't a big deal for Mardy Fish? Consider the following quote: "I've retired about 15 times in my head, I mean literally," Fish told USA Today's Doug Robson this week. "For the first 3-4 months (following his withdrawal from the U.S. Open) I was done for sure."

Fish, who has started to discuss his physical conditions more and more with the media after suffering from heart palpitations and undergoing a cardiac catheter ablation last may, has had difficulty dealing with his new reality, both mentally and physically.

But after an 8-game pro-set with Novak Djokovic at an exhibition in L.A., Fish is hoping that he can use the confidence gained as a springboard to competing at the pro level once again. To do so, he'll have to gain inspiration from his passion for the sport and not let the anxieties of what might happen to him get the best of him. It's a daunting challenge to say the least, which is all the more reason for fans to get behind Fish as he struggles to regain his form. "This is always going to be a part of me," Fish said. "That was one of the things I had to get through my mind."

Fish is seeded 32nd, and will open against either Benjamin Becker or a qualifier in round two.

5. Can anyone challenge the big four?

Since 2004, only the resplendent, shiny-domed Ivan Ljubicic has been able to crack the big four's domination at Indian Wells. The Croat won his only masters title in 2010, when he thumped Andy Roddick in the final. Since then, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer resumed their control over the year's first Masters event of the season, making it eight of the last nine years that either Federer (4), Djokovic (2) or Nadal (2) has won the title.

With Andy Murray looking so effervescent of late, is the big four's stranglehold on this title that much firmer? With Federer aging and Nadal ailing, 2013 was supposed to be a year where the winds of change swept through tennis, but it doesn't appear to be materializing that way at all.

Can somebody like Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Jerzy Janowicz or Bernard Tomic shock the tennis world? Naysayers abound, and there's good reason for that.

6. Can the Bryans win Indian Wells?

How has the best doubles team that tennis has ever known never won this event? They are the California kids, after all. For whatever reason, Mike and Bob Bryan have come up empty in fourteen trips to Indian Wells, including two losses in the final.

(Photo Credit: Tony Chang/Chang Photography)