It is rare these days Roger Federer has a score to settle with an opponent he has lost to and never beaten before. The defending BNP Paribas Open champion will earn that chance on Saturday when he takes on Federico Delbonis in the second round. Federer trails the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head ledger 0-1 after the Argentine prevailed on clay in Hamburg in 2013. Delbonis advanced to the second-round showdown after he saved two match points to deny American Ryan Harrison in three sets. Much like their lone prior encounter, the No. 67 in the ATP Rankings will look to dictate play with his powerful lefty forehand against the five-time Indian Wells champion. Delbonis’s best result came two years ago...
Former World No. 6 Gael Monfils headlines action at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, which also includes the start of doubles play. Three players in the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings – No. 4-ranked Grigor Dimitrov, No. 6 Dominic Thiem and No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro – also feature in the doubles competition. View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the 2018 BNP Paribas Open 1R & vote for who you think will win! Monfils v Ebden | Tiafoe v Escobedo | Mayer v Estrella Burgos [GROUP POLL]104[/GROUP POLL] View Daily Schedule Monfils, who is competing after four straight weeks on the clay of the Latin American swing, plays as a non-seed at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000...
Dominic Thiem’s clay-court credentials are well proven but that only makes the gifted Austrian hungrier for greater success on other surfaces. The 24-year-old is no one-surface specialist and has high hopes of making a statement at this year’s BNP Paribas Open where he returns as the No. 5 seed. Last year Thiem fell in a gripping quarter-final to Stan Wawrinka, an opponent who holds two hard court Grand Slam titles to his name. Only last week, he went down to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals at Acapulco. It was there in Mexico he won his lone prior hard-court trophy to date, in 2016. Could Indian Wells deliver his next hard-court breakthrough? “I’m always trying to make some...
Kevin Anderson knows that no matter how many years you have played tennis, you never stop learning. After 10 years as a professional and close to 500 matches, the hard-working South African remains a student of the game. Three weeks on from working his way back into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, the 31-year-old is set to compete at the BNP Paribas Open, where he reached the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2014. “I need to trust my game and trust the process,” said Anderson. “It’s something I’m still working on. I’m trying to allow myself to be more free on the court and really trust my abilities. It’s something you have to do. “When you first come on...
After a strong start to the year, Marin Cilic is looking to improve and potentially break into the Top 2 of the ATP Rankings. Having arrived in the Coachella Valley last week to prepare for the BNP Paribas Open, the first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, the Croatian feels that he is ready to make a big run. “In order to play well, you need to be fresh mentally and strong physically,” said Cilic. “You also need to be hungry when you come to play. It's difficult on the body and on the mind when you play week after week. It's not easy to push yourself every day, so balance is key. “Playing two out of past three Grand...
