Indian Wells R1 previews and predictions: Berdych vs. Lopez, Sousa vs. McDonald

Fellow veterans Tomas Berdych and Feliciano Lopez will collide on Friday as first-round action wraps up in Indian Wells. Joao Sousa and Mackenzie McDonald are squaring off after being dealt much different February fortunes.

Tomas Berdych vs. Feliciano Lopez

Berdych and Lopez will be facing each other for the 15th time in their careers when they begin their BNP Paribas Open campaigns on Friday. Lopez leads the head-to-head series 8-6, but it is tied up at 4-4 on hard courts and they have not met since 2017. In fact, the two veterans have not squared off on anything other than grass since 2017. A pair of grass-court encounters two years ago went Lopez’s way–6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in Stuttgart and 7-6(5), 6-7(1), 7-5 immediately thereafter at Queen’s Club.

Putting himself in the early running for Comeback Player of the Year after missing much of 2018 with a back injury, Berdych has won his opening match at all five of his tournaments this season. The 81st-ranked Czech is sporting a 12-5 record that includes a runner-up performance in Doha, a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open, and a semifinal finish in Montpellier. Four years older than Berdych at 37, Lopez is concluding his career in 2019. The Spaniard plays sparingly these days and his record for the season stands at just 1-2. Berdych is too confident and will hit too big for Lopez in this one.

Pick: Berdych in 2

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Mackenzie McDonald vs. Joao Sousa

McDonald storms into the California desert with a career-high ranking of No. 62 in the world. The 23-year-old American’s stellar season is highlighted by a Dallas Challenger final appearance, a semifinal run in Delray Beach, and a quarterfinal performance at the 500-point event in Acapulco.

Up first for McDonald on Friday is Sousa, whom he has never faced. It was much different month of February for the 41st-ranked Portuguese, who lost two Davis Cup rubbers against Kazakhstan and then went 2-3 on the Golden Swing with a pair of losses to Casper Ruud and one at the hands of Pablo Cuevas. A change in surface against an in-form opponent also does not bode well for Sousa’s chances.

Pick: McDonald in 3

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