Indian Wells R4 previews and predictions: Nishikori vs. Isner, Tsonga vs. Thiem

A pair of lower-seeded players may have to be considered the favorites in their respective Indian Wells matches on Wednesday, as both John Isner and Dominic Thiem are brimming with confidence. Isner is facing Kei Nishikori, while Thiem is going up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

(9) John Isner vs. (5) Kei Nishikori

This is turning into a typical season Isner: disappointing play in January and February followed by massive momentum on American hard courts to propel him through the summer and into top-10 contention. The 6’10” American lost in the Auckland quarterfinals and in the Australian Open fourth round before going 0-2 on South American clay in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. It all turned around for Isner on the grass courts of the Kooyong Club, where he upended Sam Groth and Bernard Tomic to send the United States past Australia and into the Davis Cup quarters. Not looking back as he makes the move from team competition to individual action, Isner has coasted so far at the BNP Paribas Open with straight-set defeats of Andreas Seppi and Adrian Mannarino.

Up next for the world No. 11 is a third career meeting with Nishikori. Each of their two previous encounters also came on American hard courts, with Isner getting the job done 6-4, 6-3 last spring in Miami before Nishikori prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Washington, D.C. title match. Nishikori has bounced back from a grueling, five-set Davis Cup loss to Great Britain’s Andy Murray by taking care of Mikhail Kukushkin and Steve Johnson en route to the Indian Wells fourth round. The world No. 6 has not dropped a set, but he needed two tiebreakers to scrape past Johnson on Tuesday. Isner will likely be an even bigger problem–literally–for Nishikori, because the conditions in Indian Wells are nothing short of ideal for the big man’s game.

Pick: Isner in 2

[polldaddy poll=9349021]

(11) Dominic Thiem vs. (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga and Thiem will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Wednesday. Their only previous meeting came three seasons ago on the indoor hard courts of Vienna, where Tsonga survived 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3). Fast forward to 2016 and Thiem is obviously a much different player now. The 22-year-old Austrian is up to No. 13 in the world and he actually leads the ATP Tour in victories this season with 22. On the heels of titles in Buenos Aires and Acapulco and three Davis Cup wins over Portugal (two in singles, one in doubles), Thiem has maintained momentum in the desert with defeats of Jozef Kovalik and Jack Sock.

In his eighth trip to Indian Wells, Tsonga is looking for just his second quarterfinal appearance and he has never reached the semis. The ninth-ranked Frenchman punched his ticket to the fourth round by cruising past Vincent Millot and Sam Querrey in straight sets. He is a decent 9-4 for his 2016 campaign but has not yet reached a final in any tournament. The surface in the desert suits Thiem to a greater extent, as it is playing like clay and is conducive to his heavy topspin forehand. Combine that factor with the No. 11 seed’s amazing current form and he should have a considerable edge in this one.

Pick: Thiem in 2

[polldaddy poll=9349023]