Preview: BNP Paribas Masters Men's Draw - UBITENNIS

Preview: BNP Paribas Masters Men’s Draw

By Adam Addicott
7 Min Read

The draw for the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells has taken place with the best tennis players in the world knowing the route they must take to claim the title this year.

The tournament is known by many as the unofficial fifth grand slam due to its draw of 128 players. Unlike the Grand Slam tournaments, the 32 seeded players will receive a first round bye. It is categorized as a Masters event for the men and this year is the 41st edition of the tournament.

17 out of the top 20 men will be participating in the tournament. The three exceptions are Kevin Anderson (shoulder injury), David Ferrer (fatigue) and Roger Federer (knee injury). The draw will also feature 10 players making their debut in the draw (not counting the players currently participating in qualifying). These are Inigo Cervantes, Jared Donaldson (WC), Damir Dzumhur, Kyle Edmund, Taylor Fritz (WC), Mackenzie McDonald (WC), John Millman, Lucas Pouille, Frances Tiafoe (WC) and Alexander Zverev.

Novak Djokovic is the defending champion and will be bidding to become the first man is history to win the tournament five times. The Serbian, who is defending 1000 points in the tournament, will be eager to return to his winning ways after withdrawing from the Dubai Tennis Championships due to an eye infection. The world No.1 currently has a win-loss of 16-1 this year after claiming titles in Doha and the Australian Open. With four Indian Wells titles in his collection, he currently shares the all-time record of most titles with Federer. Djokovic could face Phillip Kohlschreiber (27) in the third round followed by the inform Roberto Bautista Agut (14) in the last sixteen. Bautista Agut has already won two titles this year in Auckland and Sofia.

Andy Murray will play his first tournament since the Australian Open after taking time off for the birth of his first child. The Brit returned to action last weekend at the Davis Cup, where he won three matches, including a five-set epic over Kei Nishikori, to secure Great Britain’s first round win. The world No.2 currently has a win-loss of 24-10 at the event. Murray has reached the final in Indian Wells once, which was back in 2009. In his quarter, he is on course for a third round match against Joao Sousa (32) and a fourth round meeting with either Gael Monfils (13) or Nick Kyrgios (24).

Stan Wawrinka will be bidding to clinch his third title of 2016. The French Open champion has already enjoyed success in Chennai and Dubai. On the other hand, his record in Indian Wells isn’t the most impressive. The Swiss has reached the last eight in the tournament twice, however, the last time was back in 2011. If the draw going according to seeds, Wawrinka will play Jeremy Chardy (28) in the third round followed by David Goffin (15) in the fourth. Also in his draw in the American teenage sensation Taylor Fritz. Fritz’s recent run to the final of the Memphis Open has demonstrated how much of a talent he is. He could prove to be a very dangerous second round opponent for Goffin (if Fritz beats Francis Tiafoe in the first round).

Rafael Nadal will be hoping for a strong run in the first Masters event of the year after a mixed start to the year. After reaching the final of the Doha Open, Nadal suffered a shock first round exit at the Australian Open. Then, during his South American swing, Nadal was the top seed at two clay court tournaments. He was unable to clinch either title after losing to eventual champions Dominic Thiem and Pablo Cuevas. The three-time champion in Indian Wells is expected to play Martin Klizan (25) in the third round following by either Grigor Dimitrov (23) or Gilles Simon (16).

Other players to watch include Juan Martin Del Potro, who will be playing in his first Masters tournament after returning to the game from wrist surgery. Opening up against a yet to be decided qualifier, the Argentine could face an interesting second round encounter against Tomas Berdych. Recent doubts have been cast about Berdych’s form after he withdrew during his Davis Cup match. Dominic Thiem is currently in the form of his life, winning 15 out of his last 16 matches (including Davis Cup). Pablo Cuevas is also on a 9-match winning streak, however, it is uncertain if will be able to convert his winning ways from the clay to the hard courts. Finally, Kei Nishikori will always be a danger on the American hard court. Six out of his 11 titles has been won at a hard court tournament in America. He will bidding to reached the last eight at the tournament for the first time in his career.

Recent finals at the BNP Paribas Masters (winners in bold)

2009  Rafael Nadal   Andy Murray 6–1, 6–2
2010  Ivan Ljubičić   Andy Roddick 7–6(7–3), 7–6(7–5)
2011  Novak Djokovic  Rafael Nadal 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
2012  Roger Federer  John Isner 7–6(9–7), 6–3
2013  Rafael Nadal  Juan Martín del Potro 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2014  Novak Djokovic  Roger Federer 3–6, 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
2015  Novak Djokovic  Roger Federer 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2

The full draw can be viewed here

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