Former finalist Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and three upcoming Americans — Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz and Mackenzie McDonald — feature on Friday at the BNP Paribas Open. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori all feature in doubles play on day two at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
View Friday’s Indian Wells Schedule
Wawrinka, the 2017 runner-up, will be hoping to build upon his strong run at last month’s ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (l. to Gael Monfils in the final) against British qualifier Daniel Evans second on Stadium 2. Evans, who is attempting to move deeper into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings after falling to Radu Albot in the Delray Beach Open final, had a match point in their 2016 US Open third-round encounter — their only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.
Two ATP Tour veterans, 37-year-old Feliciano Lopez and 33-year-old Berdych, the 2013 semi-finalist, start off action on Stadium 2, meeting for the 15th time (Lopez leads 8-6). World No. 78 Lopez is at his lowest ranking since No. 84 on 16 July 2017, while Berdych, who missed six months of the previous season due to a back injury, is at No 88 – his lowest place since No. 93 on 1 March 2004.
Tiafoe and Fritz, two of 10 Americans in the Top 100 this week, both highlight action on Stadium 1. The 21-year-old Tiafoe, who advanced to his first Grand Slam championships quarter-final at the Australian Open in January (l. to Nadal), plays first-time participant Nicolas Jarry of Chile. World No. 46 Fritz, who reached the Indian Wells fourth round last year, meets fellow American Steve Johnson first on the main show court.
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McDonald, a former NCAA singles and doubles champion who defeated both Tiafoe and Fritz in the past month, opens his second appearance in Indian Wells against Joao Sousa of Portugal on Stadium 2.
Missed Day 1 Action? Watch BNP Paribas Open Thursday Play
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