Bryans vs. Zverevs Among Number Of Enticing Doubles Matchups In Indian Wells

A brotherly bash will kick off the 2018 BNP Paribas Open doubles draw, which is always one of the most competitive doubles fields during the ATP World Tour season.

Seventh seeds and two-time champions (2013, 2014) Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will be playing in their 20^th consecutive BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. But the legendary team hardly received a sweetheart draw: The Bryans open against another pair of brothers in Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev.

Another must-see first-rounder at the season’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament will take place when Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez (no relation) of Spain face Juan Martin del Potro and Grigor Dimitrov. Lopez/Lopez reached the semi-finals in 2016 (l. to Pospisil/Sock).

Top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo also will meet a pair of Spaniards to start their Indian Wells stay. Kubot/Melo open against Roberto Bautista Agut and David Ferrer.

Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic are the third seeds in Indian Wells but they just might be the favourites to take home their first BNP Paribas Open title and their maiden Masters 1000 crown. Marach/Pavic have won 18 of their 20 matches in 2018, a run that includes three titles: Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, the ASB Classic in Auckland and the Australian Open, their first Grand Slam doubles title as a team.

The Austrian/Croatian pairing face the wild-card pairing of Steve Johnson of the U.S. and Canadian Daniel Nestor in round one.

Other notable openers include 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut meeting Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina/Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic. Australian Open finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah of Colombia will face South Africa’s Raven Klaasen/Michael Venus of New Zealand. Klaasen won the 2017 Indian Wells title with Rajeev Ram of the U.S. Ram and Ivan Dodig of Croatia are the eighth seeds and open against Japan’s Ben McLachlan/Julio Peralta of Chile.