American Tommy Paul will face off against Hubert Hurkacz in the Indian Wells third round on Monday. Holger Rune will also be in action against Stan Wawrinka, with a quarterfinal spot on the line.
(17) Tommy Paul vs. (9) Hubert Hurkacz
Tommy Paul has emerged (at least at this early date) as the American man to watch. The 25-year-old came out of nowhere to advance all the way to the semifinals of the Australian Open, where he took quite a beating at the hands of Novak Djokovic. Just last week Paul made the final in Acapulco, where he was defeated by the superior fitness of Alex de Minaur. The American had a blistering circus-like semifinal against friend and countryman Taylor Fritz and didn’t have enough left in the tank. Paul defeated Jan-Lennard Struff to earn his third-round spot at the BNP Paribas Open.
Hubert Hurkacz, the world No. 11, has had a relatively successful start to the 2023 season. Most notably the Pole won his first title of the year in Marseille, though he suffered a bit of a surprise loss at the hands of Sebastian Korda in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Hurkacz won the only other meeting he had with Paul, a tight second-round match at the Paris Masters in 2021.
Hurkacz is always a danger on hard courts, but Paul is a hard-courter, as well, and he will be playing in front of the home crowd. He is also still brimming with confidence from his torrid start to the year.
Cheryl pick: Paul in 3
Ricky pick: Paul in 3
(7) Holger Rune vs. (PR) Stan Wawrinka
The rankings differential doesn’t do this matchup justice. Stan Wawrinka, who is still making his way back from a long injury (and surgery) layoff, is ranked 100th in the world. The Swiss veteran, holder of three Grand Slam titles, is just now starting to find his form. He has gotten to the quarters in his last two events and he has looked a bit more like the player he used to be. Wawrinka defeated Aleksandar Vukic to begin his Indian Wells campaign and then ousted No. 26 seed Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.
Holger Rune is one of the more unpredictable players in the top 10. The world No. 8 hasn’t won any titles so far in 2023, although he has made a couple semifinals in Montpelier and Acapulco. The Danish star has courted some controversy in his brief time he has been on the tour, including against none other than Wawrinka.
Their previous match at last year’s Paris Masters ended in a chilly handshake at net, and some rumors that Wawrinka told Rune to “stop acting like a baby” — but Rune denied what was said. Monday’s match will be their first time on court together since Paris.
Rune is the favorite on Monday. As a top-10 player, Rune has simply been more consistent that Wawrinka over the past several months. Still, Wawrinka has a big game that is potentially dangerous–even when he is not at his best. This should be a close one, but expect Rune to advance.
Cheryl pick: Rune in 3
Ricky pick: Rune in 3
WWW?
Hubie in 3; and Rune in a tight 3 over Stan the Man