Marin Cilic’s comeback from a shoulder injury will begin on Saturday in Indian Wells. Cilic is facing Juan Monaco in the second round, while Bernard Tomic is going up against Borna Coric.
(32) Bernard Tomic vs. (Q) Borna Coric
Tomic and Coric will be going head-to-head for the first time when they collide in round two of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. It has already been a successful and somewhat dramatic week for Coric, who just barely missed direct entry into the main draw and had to qualify. The 18-year-old Croat outlasted Bjorn Fratangelo 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(7) in the final round then beat Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday. Coric, who upset Rafael Nadal last fall in Basel, reached the Dubai semifinals last month as a lucky loser and stunned Andy Murray along the way.
Coric is no stranger to the role of underdog and he will be just that again because Tomic is in stellar form this season. A 16-6 record has propelled Tomic to No. 35 in the world and he snagged the 32nd seed in Indian Wells thanks to multiple withdrawals. The 22-year-old is coming off Davis Cup heroics, as he went 2-0 and 6-0 in total sets to lead Australia to a road victory over the Czech Republic. With that kind of momentum, Tomic should be able to get the best of Coric in what could be the day’s most intriguing matchup.
Pick: Tomic in 3
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(10) Marin Cilic vs. Juan Monaco
Cilic will make a late start to his 2015 campaign when he returns from a shoulder injury on Saturday in Indian Wells. The U.S. Open champion has not played since the World Tour Finals, where he was less than 100 percent and stumbled to an 0-3 record. Cilic managed to win a title last fall in Moscow, but for the most part it has been slow going–and that is an understatement–for the 10th-ranked Croat since New York.
As such, a big opportunity awaits Monaco, who kicked off his week by fighting past Teymuraz Gabashvili on Thursday. Monaco’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory gives him a winning record (7-6) for the year. Highlights include a Doha doubles title with Nadal and a recent runner-up finish (to Nadal) in Buenos Aires. A relatively slow hard court in the desert should suit the world No. 48, who reached the quarterfinals in 2010. Combine that with confidence and a rusty opponent and the recipe is there for an upset.
Pick: Monaco in 3
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