Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will continue their Indian Wells campaigns on Thursday, Quarterfinal action will pit Djokovic against Bernard Tomic and Murray against Feliciano Lopez.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (32) Bernard Tomic
Djokovic’s BNP Paribas Open title defense did not get off to an entirely inauspicious start, but even in routine wins over Marcos Baghdatis and Albert Ramos-Vinolas he was far from at his best in part due to a minor foot problem. On Wednesday night, however, the world No. 1 raised his level tenfold. Djokovic held off an inspired John Isner 6-4, 7-6(5), improving to 17-2 this season and 39-6 lifetime in Indian Wells.
Up next for the top seed is a quarterfinal date with Tomic on Thursday. Djokovic is sweeping the head-to-head series 3-0, including 1-0 on hard courts and 7-1 in total sets. They have not squared off since the 2012 Toronto Masters, where Djokovic cruised 6-2, 6-3. Playing the most consistent tennis of his career, Tomic is already through to his sixth quarterfinal of the year. He booked a spot in his first-ever Masters 1000 quarterfinal by taking out Borna Coric, David Ferrer, and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Tomic will make Djokovic work, but the favorite’s form against Isner was flat-out scary at times.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 losing 8-10 games
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(4) Andy Murray vs. (12) Feliciano Lopez
Few matchups in tennis are more lopsided than the Judy Murray Bowl (Murray vs. Lopez, as some would call it). Murray is 9-0 lifetime and 22-2 in total sets heading into their 10th career meeting on Thursday in Indian Wells. The Scot is 7-0 against Lopez on hard courts and 17-2 in total sets in those seven contests. They last faced each other around this time last year, when Murray prevailed 6-4, 6-1 at the Miami Masters.
Lopez seems to have at least one outstanding Masters 1000 run on an annual basis, and this already qualifies as such. The 33-year-old Spaniard fought past Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Pablo Cuevas in three sets then upset Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6(2) on Wednesday. Murray has improved to 15-3 on the season with victories this fortnight over Vasek Pospisil, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Adrian Mannarino. Aside from a mid-match hiccup against Kohlschreiber, the world No. 4 has been in complete cruise-control mode. Murray generally has no trouble breaking down big servers–especially not when Lopez’s lefty serve for the most part plays into his stellar two-handed backhand.
Pick: Murray in 2
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Djoker gets a W/O………….Tomic has back injury.