David Ferrer will be back in action two days after surviving a thriller when he goes up against Bernard Tomic on Monday in Indian Wells. Kevin Anderson and John Isner are also looking for a place in the fourth round.
(32) Bernard Tomic vs. (8) David Ferrer
With an unbelievable 18-1 record and three titles in 2015, Ferrer was positively on fire heading into the BNP Paribas Open. His fortnight, however, came perilously close to never getting off the ground. An inspired effort by Ivan Dodig on Saturday evening almost knocked Ferrer straight out of Indian Wells, but the No. 8 seed survived 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(6) after two hours and 42 minutes.
Although the battle was mentally and physically draining, Ferrer’s fitness is such that he will be good to go for Monday’s third-round date with Tomic. The Spaniard also has to be confident in this matchup. He is 3-0 lifetime against Tomic and 6-1 in total sets after recently prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the Acapulco quarters. Also in fine form, the 35th-ranked Australian is 17-6 this year after turning in an awesome performance to see off Borna Coric 6-3, 6-4 in round two. This should be a particularly high-quality affair, but Ferrer is likely to get the best of a majority of baseline rallies–especially on a somewhat slow, high-bouncing surface.
Pick: Ferrer in 3
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(18) John Isner vs. (16) Kevin Anderson
Isner and Anderson will be squaring off for the 11th time in their careers when the two former college rivals collide again on Monday. The head-to-head series stands at 7-3 in favor of Isner, who is 4-0 in his last four against Anderson and 1-0 in Indian Wells (6-3, 7-5 in the 2010 second round). Two of the four most recent encounters, though, required a third-set tiebreaker.
Anderson will be encouraged by the fact that he has a clear edge in current form. The 17th-ranked South African is 13-6 this season after taking care of Federico Delbonis 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday. Isner is a disappointing 4-5, but he found a different level while crushing Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. Everyone knows conditions in the desert are perfect for the 6’10” American, who is a former runner-up (2012) and was a semifinalist in 2014. Of course, the conditions are similarly ideal for Anderson.
Pick: Anderson in 3
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