There will be a couple of all-American affairs on Friday afternoon on Stadium 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, where Ben Shelton battles Reilly Opelka and Frances Tiafoe faces Jenson Brooksby.
(8) Ben Shelton vs. Reilly Opelka
This is going to be a battle of the big servers. At just under 7-feet tall, Reilly Opelka’s first serve is one of the most fierce in all of tennis. And the American No. 2 Ben Shelton wields a monster first serve-forehand combination.
Shelton holds a 2-0 record over Opelka; both of their meetings were in 2024 on hard court. This match could well be decided entirely by tiebreakers. Historically, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden has had a medium-slow designation on the CPI (Court Pace Index). This year, it’s notably faster and qualifies as medium-fast — which means there’s an even greater chance that this is going to be a serve-fest.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 2
Ricky pick: Shelton in 2
(21) Frances Tiafoe vs. Jenson Brooksby
Frances Tiafoe had a good run last week in Acapulco. The 21st-seeded American made it all the way to the final before going down to an inspired Flavio Cobolli. Running into Jenson Brooksby right away in Indian Wells, however, isn’t the best luck for Tiafoe
Brooksby, who is ranked 41st in the world, owns a 3-0 record over Tiafoe — each win coming in straight sets. This is absolutely a winnable match for Brooksby, as those numbers suggest. His style is not the traditional baseline game, and it’s just the sort that frustrates Tiafoe.
Cheryl pick: Brooksby in 3
Ricky pick: Brooksby in 3