Spoiler:
Former champions look to start strong in the desert
Five-time BNP Paribas Open champion Roger Federer plays his first match of the 2019 edition on Sunday when he faces Peter Gojowczyk of Germany on Stadium 1. No. 4-seeded Federer completed his quest for his 100th career ATP Tour singles title one week ago when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai final, and he enters the second round of Indian Wells with an 8-1 win-loss record this season.
Federer has reached the final in his last four Indian Wells appearances, winning the title in 2017, and finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2014 and 2015 and to Juan Martin del Potro last year. Federer beat Gojowczyk in their only meeting at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati last year, which was shortly after the German hit his career-high ranking of No. 39.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Rafael Nadal will hit Stadium 1 in the evening session, when he takes on American wild card Jared Donaldson. Nadal is playing his third event of the year, following a run to the Australian Open final, which he lost to Djokovic, and a second-round loss to eventual champion Nick Kyrgios at Acapulco last week.
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As for Donaldson, he returned to the tour at Delray Beach in February following six months away due to a right knee injury, and he picked up his first Tour-level victory since July of last year by defeating Tatsuma Ito in the first round on Friday.
Three-time Grand Slam champion and 2017 Indian Wells finalist Stan Wawrinka will face a familiar foe in the second round: Wawrinka and No. 29 seed Marton Fucsovics met three times last year, with Fucsovics winning their first meeting before Wawrinka claimed two victories in back-to-back weeks later in the season.
Another former Indian Wells finalist, 2012 runner-up John Isner, will meet 19-year-old Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin on Sunday. After starting 2019 with an 0-2 record, top-ranked American Isner has made the semi-finals of his last three events in a three-week span.
STATS OF THE DAY
Five-time champion Roger Federer’s 62 match victories at Indian Wells is his highest match-win total at any of the ATP Masters 1000 events.
Rafael Nadal will play his first match at Indian Wells since losing a fourth-round clash with Federer in 2017.
Like Nadal, No. 6 seed Kei Nishikori did not play at Indian Wells last year. This will be his first match at the event since losing to Jack Sock in the 2017 quarter-finals.
Stan Wawrinka is the only player since 2011 to save a match point en route to a Grand Slam title.
No. 22 seed Kyle Edmund seeks his first Tour-level win since beating Diego Schwartzman in the first round at Vienna on 24 October. Edmund did win the ATP Challenger Tour event at Indian Wells last week.
Second-round opponents Schwartzman and Roberto Carballes Baena both lost to Marco Cecchinato during the Italian’s championship run at Buenos Aires last month.
Wild card Jared Donaldson’s first-round win over Tatsuma Ito was his first victory since he defeated Jordan Thompson in the first round of Washington on 31 July of last year.
Second-round opponents Guido Pella and Alex Bolt are playing each other at career-high rankings of No. 34 and No. 125 respectively.
Other Sunday competitors at career-high rankings are Daniil Medvedev (No. 15), Marton Fucsovics (No. 31), and Hubert Hurkacz (No. 67).
World No. 78 Feliciano Lopez is at his lowest ranking since he was No. 84 on 16 July 2007.
Dusan Lajovic snapped a 4-match losing streak with his first-round win over Taro Daniel.
SUNDAY 10 MARCH ORDER OF PLAY
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
WTA
P. Gojowczyk (GER) vs [4] R. Federer (SUI)
WTA
Not Before 6:00 pm
[WC] J. Donaldson (USA) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)
Not Before 8:00 pm
WTA - [WC] J. Brady (USA) vs [12] A. Barty (AUS)
STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
[6] K. Nishikori (JPN) vs A. Mannarino (FRA)
WTA
[8] J. Isner (USA) vs [Q] A. Popyrin (AUS)
Not Before 6:00 pm
WTA
Not Before 8:00 pm
N. Djokovic (SRB) / F. Fognini (ITA) vs R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN)
STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
WTA
D. Lajovic (SRB) vs [10] M. Cilic (CRO)
[24] D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs S. Johnson (USA)
[29] M. Fucsovics (HUN) vs S. Wawrinka (SUI)
[6] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA) vs [WC] T. Fritz (USA) / N. Kyrgios (AUS)
STADIUM 4 start 11:00 am
N. Jarry (CHI) vs [22] K. Edmund (GBR)
[14] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs M. McDonald (USA)
WTA
WTA
F. Lopez (ESP) vs [12] K. Khachanov (RUS)
STADIUM 5 start 11:00 am
[LL] A. Rublev (RUS) vs R. Haase (NED)
WTA
WTA
B. McLachlan (JPN) / J. Struff (GER) vs [7] R. Klaasen (RSA) / M. Venus (NZL)
STADIUM 6 start 11:00 am
[Q] F. Krajinovic (SRB) vs [20] D. Goffin (BEL)
[25] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs R. Carballes Baena (ESP)
[16] F. Fognini (ITA) vs [Q] R. Albot (MDA)
After Suitable Rest - [Alt] A. Mannarino (FRA) / G. Monfils (FRA) vs [WC] M. McDonald (USA) / R. Opelka (USA)
STADIUM 9 start 11:00 am
WTA
[3] O. Marach (AUT) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs M. Cecchinato (ITA) / A. Seppi (ITA)
WTA
[Q] A. Bolt (AUS) vs [32] G. Pella (ARG)
H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [28] L. Pouille (FRA)
Five-time BNP Paribas Open champion Roger Federer plays his first match of the 2019 edition on Sunday when he faces Peter Gojowczyk of Germany on Stadium 1. No. 4-seeded Federer completed his quest for his 100th career ATP Tour singles title one week ago when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai final, and he enters the second round of Indian Wells with an 8-1 win-loss record this season.
Federer has reached the final in his last four Indian Wells appearances, winning the title in 2017, and finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2014 and 2015 and to Juan Martin del Potro last year. Federer beat Gojowczyk in their only meeting at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati last year, which was shortly after the German hit his career-high ranking of No. 39.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Rafael Nadal will hit Stadium 1 in the evening session, when he takes on American wild card Jared Donaldson. Nadal is playing his third event of the year, following a run to the Australian Open final, which he lost to Djokovic, and a second-round loss to eventual champion Nick Kyrgios at Acapulco last week.
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As for Donaldson, he returned to the tour at Delray Beach in February following six months away due to a right knee injury, and he picked up his first Tour-level victory since July of last year by defeating Tatsuma Ito in the first round on Friday.
Three-time Grand Slam champion and 2017 Indian Wells finalist Stan Wawrinka will face a familiar foe in the second round: Wawrinka and No. 29 seed Marton Fucsovics met three times last year, with Fucsovics winning their first meeting before Wawrinka claimed two victories in back-to-back weeks later in the season.
Another former Indian Wells finalist, 2012 runner-up John Isner, will meet 19-year-old Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin on Sunday. After starting 2019 with an 0-2 record, top-ranked American Isner has made the semi-finals of his last three events in a three-week span.
STATS OF THE DAY
Five-time champion Roger Federer’s 62 match victories at Indian Wells is his highest match-win total at any of the ATP Masters 1000 events.
Rafael Nadal will play his first match at Indian Wells since losing a fourth-round clash with Federer in 2017.
Like Nadal, No. 6 seed Kei Nishikori did not play at Indian Wells last year. This will be his first match at the event since losing to Jack Sock in the 2017 quarter-finals.
Stan Wawrinka is the only player since 2011 to save a match point en route to a Grand Slam title.
No. 22 seed Kyle Edmund seeks his first Tour-level win since beating Diego Schwartzman in the first round at Vienna on 24 October. Edmund did win the ATP Challenger Tour event at Indian Wells last week.
Second-round opponents Schwartzman and Roberto Carballes Baena both lost to Marco Cecchinato during the Italian’s championship run at Buenos Aires last month.
Wild card Jared Donaldson’s first-round win over Tatsuma Ito was his first victory since he defeated Jordan Thompson in the first round of Washington on 31 July of last year.
Second-round opponents Guido Pella and Alex Bolt are playing each other at career-high rankings of No. 34 and No. 125 respectively.
Other Sunday competitors at career-high rankings are Daniil Medvedev (No. 15), Marton Fucsovics (No. 31), and Hubert Hurkacz (No. 67).
World No. 78 Feliciano Lopez is at his lowest ranking since he was No. 84 on 16 July 2007.
Dusan Lajovic snapped a 4-match losing streak with his first-round win over Taro Daniel.
SUNDAY 10 MARCH ORDER OF PLAY
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
WTA
P. Gojowczyk (GER) vs [4] R. Federer (SUI)
WTA
Not Before 6:00 pm
[WC] J. Donaldson (USA) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)
Not Before 8:00 pm
WTA - [WC] J. Brady (USA) vs [12] A. Barty (AUS)
STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
[6] K. Nishikori (JPN) vs A. Mannarino (FRA)
WTA
[8] J. Isner (USA) vs [Q] A. Popyrin (AUS)
Not Before 6:00 pm
WTA
Not Before 8:00 pm
N. Djokovic (SRB) / F. Fognini (ITA) vs R. Bopanna (IND) / D. Shapovalov (CAN)
STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
WTA
D. Lajovic (SRB) vs [10] M. Cilic (CRO)
[24] D. Shapovalov (CAN) vs S. Johnson (USA)
[29] M. Fucsovics (HUN) vs S. Wawrinka (SUI)
[6] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA) vs [WC] T. Fritz (USA) / N. Kyrgios (AUS)
STADIUM 4 start 11:00 am
N. Jarry (CHI) vs [22] K. Edmund (GBR)
[14] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs M. McDonald (USA)
WTA
WTA
F. Lopez (ESP) vs [12] K. Khachanov (RUS)
STADIUM 5 start 11:00 am
[LL] A. Rublev (RUS) vs R. Haase (NED)
WTA
WTA
B. McLachlan (JPN) / J. Struff (GER) vs [7] R. Klaasen (RSA) / M. Venus (NZL)
STADIUM 6 start 11:00 am
[Q] F. Krajinovic (SRB) vs [20] D. Goffin (BEL)
[25] D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs R. Carballes Baena (ESP)
[16] F. Fognini (ITA) vs [Q] R. Albot (MDA)
After Suitable Rest - [Alt] A. Mannarino (FRA) / G. Monfils (FRA) vs [WC] M. McDonald (USA) / R. Opelka (USA)
STADIUM 9 start 11:00 am
WTA
[3] O. Marach (AUT) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs M. Cecchinato (ITA) / A. Seppi (ITA)
WTA
[Q] A. Bolt (AUS) vs [32] G. Pella (ARG)
H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [28] L. Pouille (FRA)
