Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev have arrived from Dubai and will get underway in Indian Wells during second-round action on Saturday. They are facing Joao Fonseca and Gabriel Diallo, respectively.
(16) Karen Khachanov vs. Joao Fonseca
Finally, Fonseca appears to be playing with some confidence. He won the MGM Slam 10-point tiebreaker tournament in Las Vegas this past weekend — which may not be a big deal, but winning is winning. More importantly, the 19-year-old dismissed an in-form Raphael Collignon 7-6(2), 6-4 in a high-quality contest on Wednesday night at the BNP Paribas Open.
Up next for Fonseca on Saturday is a second showdown against Khachanov, who won their only previous encounter 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2025 Paris Masters. That was actually quite a good effort by the Brazilian given that he had just won the Basel title the previous week. This time around, the fatigue factor could be with Khachanov. Simply getting to Indian Wells was a circus for the Russian, who was temporarily stuck in Dubai amidst the war in the Middle East. Khachanov and others made it to the desert on Wednesday afternoon, but — needless to say — this isn’t ideal preparation for the first Masters 1000 event of the year. With Fonseca back in fine form, a minor upset is very possible.
Pick: Fonseca in 3
(17) Andrey Rublev vs. Gabriel Diallo
Rublev found himself in the same situation as Khachanov after playing great in the Middle East, advancing to the semifinals in both Doha and Dubai. Fortunately for the world No. 17, he has a far more favorable opening matchup on his hands. Diallo has been ice cold, with a 1-6 record in his last seven matches heading into Indian Wells. His only win during that stretch was over world No. 292 Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida in a final-set tiebreaker. The 38th-ranked Canadian did well to defeat Mattia Bellucci on Wednesday, but that hardly confirms that his 2025 level has returned.
Based on his recent results, Rublev — even if his preparation wasn’t ideal — is more than capable of victimizing a vulnerable opponent. The Russian’s confidence has been restored and he has lost his opening match at this tournament just once in his last six appearances. This should be one-way traffic.
Pick: Rublev in 2
Esp with his mental problems
I would have backed Fonseca to the hilt this year, but he been disappointing so far