Indian Wells R2 previews and picks: Goffin vs. Tiafoe, Wawrinka vs. Marchenko

David Goffin and Stan Wawrinka will kick off their Indian Wells campaigns on Saturday. Goffin is facing Frances Tiafoe, while Wawrinka is going up against an in-form Illya Marchenko.

(15) David Goffin vs. (WC) Frances Tiafoe

Tiafoe is coming off the second–and obviously the biggest–win of his professional career at the ATP level as he heads into second-round action at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. The 18-year-old American upset a compatriot of the exact same age but almost 100 ranking spots better in world No. 80 Taylor Fritz. Tiafoe, ranked 177th, served at 73 percent and fired nine aces while double-faulting only once to get the best of a red-hot Fritz 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 on Thursday afternoon. Tiafoe’s 2016 campaign also includes a pair of Challenger quarterfinals and a tough 6-7(0), 7-6(8), 6-4 loss to Ryan Harrison in Memphis.

Up next for the wild card is a first-ever meeting with Goffin, who is the highest-ranked player Tiafoe will have ever faced (Goffin is 18th in the world, while then-No. 22 Viktor Troicki beat Tiafoe in round one of last summer’s U.S. Open). The Belgian did all he could for his country last week in Davis Cup action, but singles wins over Borna Coric and Marin Cilic were not enough to send the 2015 runner-ups through to round two. Goffin’s season is highlighted by a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open, where he took out Dominic Thiem before succumbing to Roger Federer. Tiafoe will be able to make this competitive if his serve and forehand are still clicking, but Goffin should be too consistent in the end.

Pick: Goffin in 2 losing more than 8 games

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Illya Marchenko vs. (3) Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka and Marchenko will also be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they take the court on Saturday night. Wawrinka’s most recent appearance was a good one, as he captured his second title of the season by triumphing in Dubai; not surprisingly, he had previously prevailed in Chennai.

A resurgent Marchenko is enjoying a clean bill of health and is back up to No. 72 in the world. His year features a semifinal run in Doha, where he stunned David Ferrer in the opening round–and a quarterfinal finish in Acapulco. Marchenko reached the last 64 in Indian Wells by holding off Dmitry Tursunov 7-5, 7-6(6) on Thursday. A steep step up in competition may be too much for the Ukrainian, especially given that Wawrinka is both confident from his recent title and well-rested.

Pick: Wawrinka in 2

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