Alexandr Dolgopolov is a proven force at the Indian Wells Masters and he will try to maintain his winning ways in the desert at Philipp Kohlschreiber’s expense on Saturday. David Goffin and Karen Khachanov are also in second-round action.
Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. (28) Philipp Kohlschreiber
Kohlschreiber and Dolgopolov will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Kohlschreiber, but Dolgopolov took their only previous hard-court encounter 6-3, 7-6(6) indoors at the Paris Masters in 2011. Kohlschreiber’s victories came in 2011 (6-3, 7-6(5) on the grass of Halle) and again on grass in Stuttgart two years ago (6-3, 6-3).
An in-form Dolgopolov is 8-2 in his last 10 matches, and 8-1 in his last nine not counting retirements. The 64th-ranked Ukrainian is often outstanding in Indian Wells, too. He has reached at least the third round in five of six previous appearances, including a semifinal run in 2014 that included an upset of Rafael Nadal. Dolgopolov, the recent Buenos Aires champion, opened on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Viktor Troicki. Kohlschreiber is contesting his first singles match since a wild one against Andy Murray in Dubai, where the 31st-ranked German squandered seven match points and lost 6-7(4), 7-6(18), 6-1. The second-set tiebreaker alone lasted more than 30 minutes–longer than the entire Bernard Tomic vs. Jarkko Nieminen match at the 2014 Miami Masters. It will be tough for Kohlschreiber to bounce back against a confident opponent who almost always fares well in Indian Wells.
Pick: Dolgopolov in 3
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(11) David Goffin vs. Karen Khachanov
The California desert was the setting when Goffin’s march toward becoming a top 10 player began. In 2016, he advanced to the final four in Indian Wells before turning the success into back-to-back Masters 1000 semifinal appearances by accomplishing the same feat in Miami. The Belgian broke into the top for the first time in February, thanks in part to a pair of runner-up performances in Sofia (lost to Grigor Dimitrov) and Rotterdam (lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga). Goffin was one of eventual champion Sam Querrey’s victims last week in Acapulco, but he is still a solid 13-5 for his 2017 campaign.
Up next for the 11th seed on Saturday is a first-ever showdown against Khachanov. The 20-year-old Russian is a disappointing 3-8 this season and had lost six consecutive matches dating back to the Australian Open second round prior to his arrival in Indian Wells. But he took advantage of a rusty and aging Tommy Robredo to prevail 6-1, 7-5. Based on current form and Goffin’s performance at this event in 2016, a straightforward affair may be in the cards.
Pick: Goffin in 2
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