Indian Wells

[jimlosaltos]

And they're off, despite some anxiety as many of the players had trouble getting out of the Middle East, for too obvious reasons.

Defending champs are Jack Draper and 18 yo Mirra Andreeva, both lookin' good so far. Jack is coming back from a long layoff with a bone bruise in his left (dominant) elbow. Nice to see him looking health (although I hate his new skin head look).

Only result that caught my interest so far, is Valentin Vacherot winning his second round match. V2, to refresh your memory, is the Lucky Loser with the improbably story of winning the Shanghai Masters 1000. V2 got in only because the higher ranked LLs left while he hung around. Then Vacherot went on to win 9 straight matches, incl over Djokovic, to take the title.

Was that a wonderful one off? Would he sink back to the mid 200s. Well, he's been winning some good matches since then. Made the quarters at another M1000, Paris, and this year topped Bublik and Korda. A "Cinderella" story.

Scores:

https://bnpparibasopen.com/scores

[jimlosaltos]

Huge upset, Learner Tien gives Ben Shelton a lesson (couldn't resist ) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3

Verge of another not quite so big upset, Fokina up over Mensik 6-2 4-6 5-1, Jakub serving

Sinner up one set on El Shapo.


Popcorn matches TK tonight

Fonseca (now healthy again) vs Tommy Paul
Coco vs Eala

In a rematch of the Acapulco final that seems as if it happened yesterday, Flavio Cobolli, the Acapulco titles, meets Frances Tiafoe.

[jimlosaltos]

Monday Mahem as the upset bug strikes

Alex Michelsen stuns Taylor Fritz, seeded 7th and champ here a few years ago.

Cam Norrie takes out Alex de Minaur, sixth seed.

Defending WTA champ Mirra Andreeva goes out from a set up to doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova, who saved 19 out of 26 break points. Yeouch,

Valentin Vacherot, who I'll forever remember as the Shanghai LL to Champ, up a set on Ruud.

Sakkari just broke Iga in their first game ...

TONIGHT

Joao Fonseca vs Jannik Sinner

Victoria Mboko vs Amanda Anisimova

Big Fore Duel: Arthur Fils vs FAA.

[jimlosaltos]

Crossposted this segment with "Sinner-Fonseca First Round ..."

Meanwhile, some links.
Joao Fonseca vs Jannik Sinner First Meeting Highlights | YT 4:16 min
The Shot (YT Short)
ATP Coverage: Sinner draws first blood in Fonseca rivalry with thrilling Indian Wells win
Bill at Inside Tennis: The Boy from Ipanema: My Interview with Jo?o Fonseca

[jimlosaltos]

Sabalenka vs Mboko This will be a very intriguing measuring stick for just how far the Canadian teen has come in her fast ascent.

I had previously mentioned that pundits were citing Mboko's hard serve but that I had not seen that in action. Instead, I saw an inconsistent serve with toss problems, though admittedly in a limited number of games I'd watched. Victoria got to the quarters by beating Amanda Anisimova, recent Wimbledon finalist, who is a great returner, possibly the best on the WTA. Yet Victoria won 82% of her first serves and saved her only breakpoint. P.S. At least Mboko's photo is on her bio at the WTA site.

filedata/fetch?id=108950&d=1773337753&type=thumb



Fils vs Zverev - The pair have already met several times in often entertaining, even grueling matches. Nice to see Arthur cranking that forehand again.

Tien vs Sinner. Will the Fox send Cinderfella off to this carriage? Sinner is likely rather happy he didn't have to play a third set vs Joao. Those were tough. A strange issue to bring up: Will the same hecklers who attacked Sinner throughout the Fonseca match be sitting in the front row behind the server on the North side? Some idiot 'bros were smiling while screaming insults in the middle of points and during serves throughout the match. Sinner complained repeatedly and the chair at one point walked over to look at the thugs from up close, although I have no idea if there was any follow up.

Noskova vs Gibson - The match even their mothers didn't see coming. Gibson is a qualifier. Gemini: When was the last time a "qualifier" made it to the quarterfinals at Indian Wells tennis? A: Talia Gibson became the last qualifier to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, achieving this feat in March 2026 by defeating Jasmine Paolini. Ranked around No. 112, the 21-year-old Australian was the first qualifier to make the quarterfinals at this tournament in 11 years, following Lesia Tsurenko in 2015 Upsetting Paolini has to make Gibson the CInderella of the fortnight.

Pegula vs Rybakina H2H 3-5

Svitolina vs Swiatek H2H1-4 with Elina's only win coming five years ago on clay. Is that the nutty, warm aroma of a bagel being baked, amino acids triggering the Maillard reaction that causes the dough to brown and release aromatic compounds?

Alcaraz vs Norrie Cam's a forechamp here, so give him a puncher's chance. H2H 5-3, but here's a cruious one to give British fans hope, Cam won their most recent match in Paris last fall on hard courts. Hmmmm.

Draper vs Medvedev Big Jack was my pre-season pick as the most likely of a group unlikely to break the Sincaraz duopoly's straglehold on 'slam wins, and he's the defending champ at IW. But, a big one, this is his first big competition since missing months with a bad bone bruise on his left, dominant, arm. Also, Jack will be recovering from a long three setter last night when he beat Novak Djokovic. In that match, Jack showed some real steel under pressure, coming back from a set down. Then, after his nerves failed him when trying to serve out the match, Jack regrouped to win the third set tiebreak.

As for Djokovic, he gave up 13 aces in the slow, night time conditions. More concerningly, by the third set Djokovic looked knackered. He was also soaked, perspiring heavily in the cool night temperatures that were probably about 60 deg at game time, since they got to 56 deg later last night. You might recall I'd posted about how Djokovic similarly got soaked and changed his shirt in the first set of a match a while back. He later told Serbian press about problems with "losing energy". If anyone has any idea what this is about, please let me know. I don't know what would make a professional athlete, in great physical condition and training heavily sweat profusely at random times in moderate weather.

#