Second-round action in Indian Wells wraps up on Saturday, with Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur getting their fortnights underway. They are going up against Grigor Dimitrov and Sebastian Korda, respectively.
(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Alcaraz and Dimitrov will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers when they clash in round two of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. Their most recent meeting came in the fourth round of this same tournament 12 months ago, when Alcaraz rolled 6-1, 6-1 to take a 4-2 lead in the head-to-head series.
Although this is a marquee matchup in terms of name recognition, it will likely be another lopsided affair. Dimitrov has played only eight matches since his pectoral injury at Wimbledon last summer and he is just 2-4 this season after defeating Terence Atmane in three sets on Thursday. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is a perfect 12-0 so far this year with triumphs at the Australian Open at Doha ATP 500. Moreover, the top-ranked Spaniard is 20-3 all time in Indian Wells with two titles. Conditions are perfect for his game, so he should roll through his opening match.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
Sebastian Korda vs. (6) Alex de Minaur
When healthy, Korda can be one of the more dangerous players on tour — and that is the case right now. The 37th-ranked American is on a six-match winning streak that features a title in Delray Beach and a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Francisco Comesana on Thursday night. Korda’s Delray Beach triumph came at the expense of Alex Michelsen, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli, and Tommy Paul, so it certainly wasn’t a fluke.
Up next for the 25-year-old on Saturday is a fifth showdown against De Minaur, who leads the head-to-head series 3-1. However, all four of their encounters have come on surfaces that favor the Australian (two on grass, two on indoor hard courts). A relatively slow, high-bouncing hard court will be to Korda’s liking. In fact, De Minaur is just 9-7 lifetime at this tournament with zero trips to the quarterfinals. Sound the upset alert.
Pick: Korda in 3