American Taylor Fritz will tackle both compatriot Ben Shelton or Italian Fabio Fognini as he starts his identify protection at Indian Wells this week, with top-ranked Iga Swiatek dealing with a possible third-round showdown with 2019 champ Bianca Andreescu.
Fritz battled via excruciating ache to finish Rafa Nadal’s 20-match profitable run and declare his first Masters 1000 championship remaining yr and can hope for some other story-book end after the principle draw was once introduced on Monday.
Facing a depleted males’s box, Fritz may run into Denmark’s Holger Rune within the quarter-final. Seventh-seed Rune additionally received his first masters identify remaining yr when he outlasted 22-times main winner Novak Djokovic in Paris.
Red-hot Daniil Medvedev, who gathered his 0.33 immediately identify in Dubai this month, is on a collision path to satisfy third-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud within the last 8, whilst Spain’s top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz may face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime within the quarters.
World primary Djokovic withdrew from the match on Sunday and Nadal, who annoyed a hip downside in his second-round loss on the Australian Open and has no longer performed since, additionally pulled out.
On the ladies’s facet, Swiatek appears as despite the fact that she will have little bother amassing a moment immediately identify within the southern California desolate tract after cruising to victory a yr in the past amid a blockbuster unbeaten streak.
She may meet WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia within the quarterfinals after starting her marketing campaign in opposition to both American Claire Liu or Belgian Alison van Uytvanck, with Canadian Andreescu additionally playing a first-round bye.
Fresh off her maiden Grand Slam win in Australia, moment seed Aryna Sabalenka will face both Alize Cornet or Evgeniya Rodina to start the match.
She has the danger to actual slightly little bit of revenge in opposition to possible fourth-round foe Barbora Krejcikova, after the 2021 French Open winner ended her 13-match profitable streak in Dubai remaining month.