By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 5, 2019
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has yet to beat Acapulco champion Nick Kyrgios; the pair could square off in the Indian Wells third round.
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open
Dynamic desert air and a majestic mountains infuse Indian Wells with a panorama of revival.
The BNP Paribas Open men's draw presents prospects for spring renewal and potential dead ends in the first Masters event of the season.
More: Serena Dealt Difficult Indian Wells Draw
Here are our picks for Top 5 Storylines to follow in the Indian Wells' men's draw.
1. Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios on Collision Course
Desert storm could strike in round three with five-time champion Novak Djokovic on course for another BNP Paribas Open blockbuster vs. Nick Kyrgios—if the 31st-seeded Aussie wins his opener against either Pierre-Hugues Herbert or Philipp Kohlschreiber.
World No. 1 Djokovic has yet to take a set off the explosive Kyrgios, who thumped 14 aces and did not face a break point disarming Djokovic, 6-4, 7-6 (3), to snap the Serbian's 19-match Indian Wells winning streak with conviction two years ago.
It was Kyrgios’ second straight-sets win over Djokovic in a two-week span following a monstrous 25-ace performance in a 7-6, 7-5 victory in Acapulco.
The enigmatic Kyrgios has won all four sets the pair have played and should be riding a wave of confidence after knocking off three Top 10 players—Rafael Nadal, John Isner and Alexander Zverev—as well as three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka en route to the Acapulco title.
The man ex-coach Andre Agassi calls the best returner he's ever seen conceded Kyrgios' quick-action serve can be indecipherable.
"On his first serves, to try to anticipate and read his serve, where he's going to go 140 miles per hour down the T and also pretty good angle wide, so it's hard to position yourself well," Djokovic told the media after his 2017 loss to Kyrgios. "Let's call it that way. It is a gamble. His second serve, if you think you're going to have a look at it, you don't, because he goes for it, as well."
Still, Djokovic was commanding overwhelming Rafael Nadal for his 15th Grand Slam title in Melbourne and should be highly motivated for a possible Kyrgios showdown.
2. Zverev Bro-Battle?
Alexander Zverev and older brother Mischa Zverev joined to win the Acapulco doubles title last weekend and could square off as singles opponents in week one.
No. 3-seeded Sascha Zverev has a first-round bye and will face a left-hander in round three: either brother Mischa Zverev or Martin Klizan. The reigning ATP Finals champion, who resides in the top half of the draw with Djokovic, is on course for a third-round rematch vs. Grigor Dimitrov.
The pair faced off in the 2016 second round with an 18-year-old Zverev fighting off six of seven break points he faced in the final set and benefitting from a pair of net-cord bounces in the last game battling back for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, victory over Dimitrov.
Ninth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, who made history as the first Greek to crack the ATP Top 10 this week, should be a big threat in the second quarter.
The Australian Open semifinalist opens against either Candian wild card Felix Auger-Aliassime or Briton Cameron Norrie with a possible Australian Open quarterfinal rematch vs. Roberto Bautista Agut looming in round three.
3. Rafa's Return Looks Good
A hip injury knocked Rafael Nadal out of the 2018 BNP Paribas Open, but the three-time champion should hit the ground running in his return.
The second-seeded Spaniard should enjoy the sightline in the bottom half of the draw.
Six years removed from his last Indian Wells title, Nadal opens with either a qualifier or American wild card Jared Donaldson.
If the seeds hold true to form, Nadal's first potential seeded opponent is 25th-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman followed by a fourth-round meeting with Daniil Medvedev, a potential quarterfinal vs. eighth-seeded John Isner and a possible semifinal vs. five-time champion Roger Federer, who rolled Rafa, 6-2, 6-3, in the 2017 round of 16.
The 32-year-old Spaniard won the last Masters tournament he played in Toronto last August and owns a 50-10 career record at the BNP Paribas Open.
4. Swiss Bliss: Roger and Stan Could Reunite
Fresh off his claiming his 100th career title in Dubai, five-time champion Roger Federer is poised to go deep in the desert again.
The 2018 runner-up to Juan Martin del Potro, Federer will face either Peter Gojowczyk or Andreas Seppi to open the tournament followed by a possible third-round clash with Olympic gold-medal partner Stan Wawrinka, if the three-time Grand Slam champion can beat a qualifier and 29th-seeded Marton Fucsovics to make it.
Federer stopped Wawrinka, 6-4, 7-5, in the 2017 Indian Wells final. Federer has won 21 of 24 meetings with his 40th-ranked compatriot.
If the seeds progress, Federer would face 16th-seeded Fabio Fognini in the round of 16 and sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.
Tenth-seeded Marin Cilic, who returned from a knee injury in Dubai, 22nd-seeded Kyle Edmund and 24th-seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who will play the winner of the all-American match between Stevie Johnson and Taylor Fritz, are other high seeds in Federer's section.
5. Stress Tests
Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro is out nursing a cranky knee.
Several players faced tough tests trying to back up positive 2018 Indian Wells' results. Borna Coric, who held a one-set lead over Federer before bowing in the semifinals last year, resides in the same top quarter as Djokovic and Kyrgios. The 11th-seeded Croatian will open vs. Ivo Karlovic or John Millman.
Milos Raonic, the 2016 finalist, beat Sam Querrey to reach the 2018 semifinals and could face the big-hitting Californian again in his opener. Raonic has split with coach Goran Ivanisevic and is now working with spin doctor Fabrice Santoro.
World No. 7 Kevin Anderson, sidelined since the Australian Open nursing an elbow injury, isn't exactly seeing the welcome mat rolled out for his return.
The Wimbledon runner-up is in the second quarter of the draw alongside 30th-seeded Laslo Djere, Tsitsipas and Bautista Agut.
Paris Masters champion Karen Khachanov is determined to break a three-match losing streak. It won't be easy. The powerful Russian will meet Tomas Berdych or Feliciano Lopez in his opening match.