What has been a stellar 2016 comeback so far for Juan Martin Del Potro will be put to the test against Tomas Berdych on Saturday in Indian Wells. Marin Cilic and Ryan Harrison are also in second-round action.
(6) Tomas Berdych vs. (WC) Juan Martin Del Potro
Del Potro could not have asked for a much better start to his 2016 comeback as he heads into second-round action at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. The 27-year-old could not quite capture a title in his first tournament of the season in Delray Beach, but he at least managed to beat Denis Kudla, John-Patrick Smith, and Jeremy Chardy all in straight sets before falling to Sam Querrey in the semifinals. Del Potro, who had not played since Miami in 2015 because of recurring wrist problems, opened in Indian Wells on Thursday night with a 6-4, 6-0 rout of Tim Smyczek.
Up next for the 2009 U.S. Open champion is a seventh career meeting with Berdych. They have not faced each other since 2012 because of Del Potro’s physical issues, but the head-to-head series stands at 4-2 in favor of the Argentine. This will be their first outdoor hard-court showdown since they first met back in 2008, when Berdych cruised 6-1, 6-4 in the Tokyo title match. The seventh-ranked Czech is a major question mark going into Indian Wells. He has been in mediocre form to begin this season and his problems were compounded during Davis Cup action last weekend. Berdych needed five sets to outlast Alexander Zverev before he retired on the final day with an adductor injury after losing two sets to Philipp Kohlschreiber. Unless the sixth seed is 100 percent, he will not enough to het past an opponent who is increasing in confidence.
Pick:Â Del Potro in 2
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(Q) Ryan Harrison vs. (10) Marin Cilic
Cilic and Harrison will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and for the second time this season when they meet again on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Cilic, but Harrison just beat him 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 last month in Acapulco. In that showdown, the American capitalized on a fatigued opponent who was making an extremely quick turnaround following a runner-up performance on the indoor hard courts of Marseille. Cilic previously defeated Harrison 6-2, 7-5, 7-6(6) at the 2011 U.S. Open and 6-3, 6-4 two years ago in Delray Beach.
It has been a disappointing start to the year for Cilic, whose record stands at a modest 9-7. The 12th-ranked Croat has won more than two matches at a tournament only once this year, and that was in Marseille at the expense of nobody ranked better than 22nd (Benoit Paire). Following his loss to Harrison in Acapulco, Cilic crossed the pond again for Davis Cup duty at Belgium. He defeated Kimmer Coppejans before losing the fourth rubber to David Goffin, after which Borna Coric sealed the deal for Croatia. Cilic is making another surface change back to hard courts, but it should be easier this time around with much more rest in between.
Pick:Â Cilic in 3
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who ya got?
Harrison in three and Del Po in straights
Juan Martin doing such a good job. Quite Impressed!