Indian Wells R1 previews and predictions: Evans vs. Brown, Medvedev vs. Youzhny

Dustin Brown is part of the Friday schedule in Indian Wells and he will be looking to avenge a recent Dubai loss to Dan Evans. Meanwhile, an all-Russian showdown is set to take place between Daniil Medvedev and Mikhail Youzhny.

Dustin Brown vs. Dan Evans

Evans and Brown will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time in little more than a week when they meet again in the BNP Paribas Open first round on Friday. Their only previous encounter just took place in Dubai, where Evans cruised 6-2, 6-3. The result was hardly surprising even though this looks like a competitive matchup on paper, because Brown has been dealing with a back injury since retiring from a Montpellier quarterfinal match against Benoit Paire last month. The 82nd-ranked German is 4-6 in 2017 and 0-3 in his past three matches.

Last year was a good one for a rejuvenated Evans and this season is shaping up to be even better. The Brit boasts a 9-4 record that has up to a career-high ranking of 41st. Highlights include a runner-up showing in Sydney and a fourth-round performance at the Australian Open. Even if Brown is 100 percent physically, there is no reason to think this will turn out differently than what transpired in Dubai.

Pick: Evans in 2

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Daniil Medvedev vs. Mikhail Youzhny

Medevedev and Youzhny will also be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Friday. The two Russians previously faced each other last year in a Challenger event in Bangkok, where Youzhny got the job done 6-2, 6-3. That came during a season-opening stretch in which the veteran won his first 17 matches–three Challenger titles and two in Dubai qualifying. Having resurrected his ranking thanks to that lower-level dominance, Youzhny is back on the main tour with marginal success. The 34-year-old comes in at No. 84 in the world and with a mediocre 4-5 record in 2017.

At the other end of the career spectrum is Medvedev, a 21-year-old who started to make a name for himself in 2016. Up to 58th in the rankings, Medvedev already boasts nine ATP-level match victories this season. The Chennai runner-up has lost in the opening round in just one of five tournaments in 2017. Based on current form, Medvedev should have the edge against his much older countryman.

Pick: Medvedev in 3

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