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  • Tiafoe Takes On Norrie, Medvedev Looks To Extend Streak In Indian Wells QFs

    Tiafoe Takes On Norrie, Medvedev Looks To Extend Streak In Indian Wells QFs

    After an action-packed first seven days at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the 2023 BNP Paribas Open has reached the quarter-final stage. On Wednesday, four of the remaining players in the draw will step out on Stadium 1 aiming to prolong their stay in ‘Tennis Paradise’.

    They include the two players that own the most and second-most match wins on Tour, respectively, in 2023 — Daniil Medvedev (22 wins) and Cameron Norrie (21). They seek to add to their tallies on Wednesday in order to book a semi-final spot at the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season.

    Alejandro Davidovich Fokina stands in the way of fifth seed Medvedev, while one of two Americans left in the draw — Frances Tiafoe — will hope to ride home support to victory against Norrie. ATPTour.com previews the quarter-final matchups from the bottom half of the BNP Paribas Open draw.

    View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

    [ATP APP]

    [10] Cameron Norrie (GBR) Vs. [14] Frances Tiafoe (USA)

    After notching his 150th tour-level victory in the fourth round against Alejandro Tabilo, Tiafoe will hope to hit more milestones as he prepares for his first quarter-final appearance in Indian Wells. The American has not dropped a set in his three matches this fortnight and, should he defeat Norrie for the first time on Wednesday, would equal his career-high of No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

    Looking further ahead, the American could potentially crack the Top 10 for the first time by reaching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 championship match in California. However, the 25-year-old Tiafoe will not be looking past his clash with the in-form 2021 Indian Wells champion Norrie, who prevailed in the pair’s only previous ATP Head2Head meeting in 2021 in Delray Beach.

    “He’s a former champ here and he’s getting everything out of his career,” said 2022 US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe of Norrie, who is on an eight-match winning streak. “I have nothing but respect for that guy. He’s putting some miles on those legs and getting a lot of wins while doing it.”

    Norrie’s fourth-round victory against sixth seed Andrey Rublev was yet another triumph based on the Briton’s ability to absorb an opponent’s power and redirect it to his own advantage. Having also beaten Carlos Alcaraz (in the Rio de Janeiro final) during his current winning streak, the No. 12-ranked Norrie will aim to maintain his form against the free-hitting Tiafoe. Yet the American is confident he can give the home fans something to cheer in the opening act of Wednesday’s Stadium 1 schedule,

    “We’re both in totally different places in our careers than last time we played,” said Tiafoe. “He’s playing some of the best tennis of his life and so am I. It should be a great show, and I’m going to be coming for him.”

    [BREAK POINT]

    [5] Daniil Medvedev Vs. [23] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)

    Not even rolling his ankle in the second set of Tuesday’s fourth-round epic against Alexander Zverev could disrupt Medvedev’s winning habit. After having his ankle taped, the fifth seed returned to court to clinch his 17th consecutive tour-level win.

    What is currently the second-longest winning streak of Medvedev’s career began a month ago with a Rotterdam win against Davidovich Fokina, and the Spaniard is now his quarter-final opponent in California. Medvedev’s three-set first-round win in the Netherlands was the catalyst for a red-hot run of form that has so far seen the 27-year-old lift three ATP Tour trophies in as many weeks (Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai) and now surge to his maiden quarter-final in Indian Wells.

    Davidovich Fokina knows he will likely have to be at his fiery best if he wants to bookend Medvedev’s winning streak. Despite trailing 0-2 in his ATP Head2Head series against the fifth seed, the Spaniard can draw confidence from the fact he has claimed the opening set in both matches. His crowd-pleasing, all-action style could also play a role in drumming up support from the fans on Stadium 1 as the World No. 28 aims to reach his second Masters 1000 semi-final.



    Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in fourth-round action on Tuesday. Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

    Matching the World No. 6’s consistency from the baseline will nonetheless be a tough ask for Davidovich Fokina. As Medvedev’s 17 previous opponents have found out, putting balls past the 18-time tour-level titlist in this form is one of the biggest challenges on Tour. A stunning defensive smash past Zverev on Tuesday was the most recent demonstration of the sort of defiant defence the Spaniard can expect to face on Wednesday.

    “Only thing I said to myself, just hit it full power, there is no other choice,” said Medvedev, when asked about his remarkable winner against Zverev. “I hit it crosscourt. It was amazing shot. Well, even if you try to practise it, you probably miss eight or nine out of 10… That’s great to have such shots in such important moments. That saves your life.”

    In Doubles Action…

    The doubles quarter-final action also kicks off on Wednesday, when defending champions John Isner and Jack Sock seek to improve on their 10-1 record as a team in Indian Wells against Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.
    The American duo lifted the title in 2018 as well as last year in the California desert, and Sock has defeated Bolelli and Fognini in Tennis Paradise before — alongside Vasek Pospisil in the 2015 championship match.

    In the final match of the day on Stadium 2, Doha champions Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden take on Canadian singles stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov. Of the four, only Bopanna has reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells before (in 2011).

  • ATP, WTA Stars Unite For Mixed Doubles Exhibition At Indian Wells

    ATP, WTA Stars Unite For Mixed Doubles Exhibition At Indian Wells

    Two months after the inaugural United Cup, the mixed-gender team event won by the United States in January, the ATP Tour and Hologic WTA Tour again joined forces on the court Tuesday night in Indian Wells. On the eve of main-draw play at the BNP Paribas Open, stars from both circuits thrilled the desert crowd in the third annual Eisenhower Cup, a mixed doubles exhibition that doubles as a fundraiser for local charities.

    The one-night tournament was won by Taylor Fritz and Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated the Polish pairing of Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek 10-8 in the final. Fritz, who hit an ace with a trick serve in the semi-finals, fired a service winner on championship point.

    “It’s awesome just to have the chance to come out here and play in front of the crowd before [the tournament] even gets going,” said Fritz, the defending Indian Wells men’s singles champ. “The crowd here tonight is amazing. It’s one of the many reasons I love coming here. It’s one of my favourite events, it being such a home tournament for me.”

    [BREAK POINT]

    Fritz, who helped lead Team USA to United Cup glory in January, also won the Delray Beach singles title in February and broke into the Top 5 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time last week. He will open his Indian Wells title defence against Ben Shelton or Fabio Fognini.

    “We said before the night started that we really wanted to come out and win,” added the Netflix Break Point star. “We played really well against a lot of really good teams.”

    Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open singles champion, is no stranger to doubles success. The former doubles World No. 1 is a two-time Grand Slam winner in the discipline with partner Elise Mertens, having lifted the trophies at the 2019 US Open and 2021 Aussie Open. The pair also won the 2019 Indian Wells crown.

    “I feel good,” said Sabalenka, who will face Alize Cornet or Evgeniya Rodina in her opening singles match. “I’m really happy to be here and really looking forward to the first match.”


    Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images

    Also competing in Tuesday night’s exhibition event were: Paula Badosa and Cameron Norrie, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez, Ons Jabeur and Casper Ruud, Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Belinda Bencic and Stan Wawrinka.

    In addition, Fritz and Paul are set to team up in the Indian Wells men’s doubles event, with Auger-Aliassime (with Denis Shapovalov), Ruud (with Dominic Thiem) and Wawrinka (with Frances Tiafoe) also competing.

    The women’s doubles draw has not yet been released.

  • Monfils Reflects On Fatherhood Ahead Of Indian Wells Comeback

    Monfils Reflects On Fatherhood Ahead Of Indian Wells Comeback

    Seven months ago Gael Monfils retired during his third-round match in Montreal against Jack Draper because of a foot injury. The Frenchman “thought it was all good”. However, he had suffered a plantar fascia rupture, and has not competed since.

    The 36-year-old has been all smiles in the California desert, where he is ready to make his comeback Wednesday evening at the BNP Paribas Open against Australian Jordan Thompson.

    “I feel great,” Monfils told ATPTour.com. “It’s been a couple months now I’m away. At the same time, I have a couple weeks without my little princess. It’s the first time, it’s the first feeling like that. It’s a mixed feeling, but in a positive way.”

    Monfils’ “little princess” is his daughter, Skaï, who was born in October. This is Monfils’ first tournament since he and his wife, WTA star Elina Svitolina, welcomed their daughter to the world.

    “I was with her since day one and now to get back on the road, it’s a different experience for me. I’ve been great. I’ve been blessed,” Monfils said. “So far she’s healthy and myself too, [I have] gotten back in shape and healthy. I have only positive vibes coming here.”

    Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
    While Monfils did not want to be injured, the time off worked out well in terms of when he was hurt. It allowed him to experience the most special moment of his life.

    “Perfect timing. I say always I try to see the positive in the negative and that was almost the best timing. I could be with my wife at the end of her pregnancy and support her, because it’s never easy the last days and everything,” Monfils said. “And then of course at the beginning as a parent, taking care of the little one as a team. It was great timing for me and also very important. At the end, that’s what matters. That’s life, that’s real life. To be a team there for our baby was great for me.”

    It is safe to say Skaï quickly changed the Monfils family’s world. The Frenchman enjoys every moment with her.

    “The happiness, it’s crazy. The happiness, the love,” Monfils said. “I can be a little bit tired or unhappy with what I’m doing because I want to be perfect. But as soon as I see my daughter, everything vanishes. It’s a great feeling.”

    Monfils has also been working hard to prepare for his return to action. Over the past two months he has improved his fitness and slowly increased the amount of time he has spent on court. He started at once or twice per week before increasing to a full week of tennis along with his physical training. Monfils’ coach did not feel he was ready for the recent European indoor swing, so he fully prepared for an Indian Wells comeback.

    “It’s been a long time. I won’t lie, I missed being on the Tour playing, competing, challenging myself. Now I just have the feeling [of love with the fans]. Actually Indian Wells is great because you have fans very close on the practice court. You can feel the energy,” Monfils said. “That definitely was [exciting] for me the few days I came here. I felt great and I felt lucky and blessed that I could actually get back in shape to experience that again.”

    [BREAK POINT]

    The former Top 10 star has also hit at home with his wife, who is also working her way back.

    “She’s right there. She’s obviously very motivated to come back. It was actually crazy because she just gave birth and obviously she was super happy, but she really wants to get back very quickly in good shape,” Monfils said. “She wanted to feel that she can play again. She was worried because she hadn’t played for a long time. She picked up the racquet quite good. It was great.

    “Now she’s practising, she’s loving it. She’s starting to move a little bit more because at the beginning she couldn’t move so much. But now it’s better and I think she has some goals, so I think she will soon say what she wants to do and when she wants to come back.”

    Monfils has goals of his own, one of which is to improve his Pepperstone ATP Ranking enough to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also wants to find his top level to make Skaï proud.

    It has been adjustment for Monfils to be away from home, with plenty of FaceTimes helping make up for his distance from family. But the Frenchman hopes his next FaceTime with Skaï will be a special one following his first victory as a father.

    “It’s funny because it was the first time [away]. It’s been five days exactly. Now she started to recognise me a little bit,” Monfils said, cracking a laugh. “It’s quite special, so I hope I will have a win under my belt and have the first FaceTime with her.”