Multiple Americans headline a jam-packed order of play on Sunday in Indian Wells, where Ben Shelton and Learner Tien are squaring off in round three. Frances Tiafoe gets another shot at Acapulco champ Flavio Cobolli.
(8) Ben Shelton vs. (25) Learner Tien
Shelton is already on his proverbial second life at the BNP Paribas Open. The world No. 8 clearly wasn’t feeling well throughout his first-round match against compatriot Reilly Opelka, but he managed to hold serve the entire way — so one break in the third set was enough for a 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. Shelton is now 11-2 this season with a quarterfinal showing at the Australian Open and a title in Dallas.
Up next for the 23-year-old on Sunday is another all-American showdown against Tien, who won their only previous matchup 6-4, 7-6(2) last summer on the grass courts of Mallorca. Tien is on an absolute roll these days, up to 27th in the rankings at just 20 year old. The left-hander reached the quarters in Melbourne and the semis in Delray Beach before beating Adam Walton in straight sets on Friday. Even if Shelton is 100 percent, Tien has a good shot at winning this one — and the underdog’s chances obviously improve to an even greater extent if his opponent is compromised.
Pick: Tien in 3
(15) Flavio Cobolli vs. (21) Frances Tiafoe
It will be a rematch of the Acapulco final from one week ago when Cobolli and Tiafoe meet again on Sunday. Cobolli got the best of that matchup, taking the title with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory. Still, Tiafoe leads the head-to-head series 2-1; he prevailed 6-4, 6-2 at the 2024 Delray Beach tournament and 6-1, 6-4 a year later in Washington, D.C.
Although Cobolli has emerged impressively from his February slump, he has not been overly convincing. The 15th-ranked Italian did not beat anyone else in the top 80 other than Tiafoe last week and he is coming off a tough three-setter against Miomir Kecmanovic on Friday. Tiafoe, on the other hand, was outstanding in a 6-4, 6-2 demolition of Jenson Brooksby. With home-court advantage, the 22nd-ranked American has a great chance to get revenge on Sunday.
Pick: Tiafoe in 3
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Tien ganha, Shelton não está a 100
Tien in 3, Cobolli in 3
Shelton in 2; Big Foe in 3