Nikola Mektic and Horacio Zeballos arrived at the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year having played just one prior tournament as a team. But on Saturday evening, the Croat-Argentine duo defeated sixth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 4-6, 6-4, 10-3 to win the BNP Paribas Open.

“Oh my God, we won Indian Wells!” Mektic said when given the microphone during the trophy ceremony.

In the second round, it appeared that Mektic and Zeballos might be ousted early, facing two match points in a Match Tie-break against top seeds and Australian Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. But the unseeded pair survived and never looked back, defeating fifth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah in the quarter-finals and the 2018 year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team, Oliver Marach/Mate Pavic, in the semi-finals.

“[It’s] a little bit unreal. We’re still looking at each other and just repeating, ‘Did we just win’?” Mektic said.

“[It’s] unbelievable,” Zeballos said. “And being in the big [press] conference [room], it’s great. I’ve never been in this room. I love it.”

Twenty of the 32 singles seeds played doubles in Indian Wells, but none reached the final. Instead, Mektic and Zeballos won an impressive 40 per cent of their return points against Kubot and Melo to triumph after one hour and 28 minutes. 

Perhaps the key moment came on set point in the second set for Mektic and Zeballos. It was deuce, which on the ATP Tour is deciding point in doubles. Melo, who was dominant at net for much of the match, hit a volley into the net from just inches away, evening the match at a set apiece. Mektic and Zeballos were perfect on serve in the Match Tie-break to clinch the victory. They add 1,000 ATP Doubles Ranking points to their total, and split $457,290 in prize money.

Mektic and Zeballos have not discussed the future of their partnership yet — they combined after their full-time partners got hurt. But it’s safe to say that Mektic’s second Masters 1000 title and Zeballos’ first showed the world what they’re capable of as a pair.

“We are a great team. We can beat anyone,” Mektic said. “Especially on this tournament where [the difference in] every match is a few balls, a few points will decide who’s going to win. Of course you’re not expecting to win, but we were going into every match confident that we can win, so we just went step by step and it happened.”

Kubot and Melo will be disappointed to not lift their fifth Masters 1000 trophy, but they still gain 600 points and a share of $223,170.

“They had the toughest draw possible,” Melo said. “They beat all the best teams in the world.”

Did You Know?
Before Mektic (Croatia) and Zeballos (Argentina), no Croatian or Argentine had ever won the BNP Paribas Open doubles title (since 1976).

It’s not every day that you get more than one Top 5 player in the ATP Rankings on the same court. It’s certainly rare to have multiple players who have held top spot across the net. But on Saturday at the BNP Paribas Open, three current or former World No. 1s took to Stadium 1 in Indian Wells.

After second seed Rafael Nadal was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to right knee pain ahead of his semi-final against five-time champion Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras took on John McEnroe and Tournament Director Tommy Haas, who climbed as high as World No. 2, in a special doubles exhibition.

While Haas and McEnroe defeated Djokovic and Sampras 4-3(4), the real winners were the fans in the California desert. This was not a scheduled exhibition, but after Federer spoke to the crowd, fans were promised a surprise and the tournament delivered.

“After we heard Rafa wasn’t going to be able to play, we wanted to make sure our fans got something fun,” Haas said in a statement. “We started making some calls and Novak was willing to come over. Pete was here for the Raonic and Thiem match, and John is in town because he is making an announcement with BNP Paribas tomorrow. They all just said, ‘how can I help?’ And that shows what incredible people they are. “

Those in attendance cheered after every point, as guest chair umpire Jon Lovitz, an American comedian, provided commentary throughout. Actor Ben Stiller was also in the stands and was asked who he was rooting for.

“The old guys,” Stiller joked, because according to him, he’s also “an old guy”.

Did You Know?
Djokovic lost in the third round of singles at the BNP Paribas Open, but the Serbian advanced to the semi-finals of the doubles draw with Italian Fabio Fognini.

Dominic Thiem’s first priority when he steps on Stadium 1 Sunday for the BNP Paribas Open championship match against Roger Federer will be to lift his first ATP Masters 1000 title. But that’s not all that’s at stake for the Austrian.

Thiem can return to his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 4 if he lifts the trophy. The 25-year-old has been World No. 8 since 29 October. But regardless of his result against Federer, Thiem, will return to the Top 5 for the first time since January 2018.

With a victory, Thiem will earn 1,000 points, which would be his second-highest point total for a single tournament in his career. The Austrian earned 1,200 points for reaching the Roland Garros final last season.

Projected Top 5 On 18 March If Thiem Wins Indian Wells

The seventh seed’s performance in Indian Wells will give him an opportunity to gain even more ground next week at the Miami Open presented by Itaú. Last year, Thiem withdrew from the year’s second Masters 1000 tournament due to an ankle injury he suffered in Indian Wells. Therefore, he has no points to defend in Miami.

World No. 4 Federer began the tournament needing to reach the quarter-finals to have any chance of remaining inside the Top 5. But the 37-year-old Swiss is into the final in Indian Wells for the fifth straight time (he did not compete in 2016). Federer and Thiem are in essence battling for the fourth spot in the ATP Rankings. Federer only has 10 points to defend in Miami, since he lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis in his opening-round match last year.

Projected Top 5 On 18 March If Federer Wins

Dominic Thiem is on a mission this week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, with his sights set on a first ATP Masters 1000 crown. Having dropped just one set en route to the final, he will face Roger Federer in Sunday’s championship.

While Thiem is highly driven and a passionate competitor between the lines, he carries that same attitude to his endeavors off the court. The Austrian is looking to make the world a better and safer place, rallying behind a cause that is close to his heart: helping the environment.

Thiem supports an organisation called ‘4ocean’, which strives to preserve the world’s oceans and create a more habitable ecosystem for marine life. In less than two years, they have removed more than four million pounds of trash from oceans and coastlines.

“It’s a really good cause. It’s one of the biggest problems nowadays that we face, with all the plastic pollution. I love nature and I’m trying to support this whenever I can. I really hope to attend one of their cleanups and help. It would really be a dream for me.”

Thiem discusses why supporting the environment is so important to him in this ATP My Story delivered by FedEx.

What’s not to like about @ThiemDomi…#BNPPO19 pic.twitter.com/G9Kgpar5Vh

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 16, 2019

Saturday’s BNP Paribas Open semi-final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal wasn’t meant to be, but the Swiss star believes they’ll have another chance to share the court.

Federer expected it to be business as usual when he warmed up for their Indian Wells clash and heard Nadal was on a separate practise court. But a couple of hours before they were slated to battle on Stadium 1, the Spaniard was forced to withdraw due to right knee pain.

“Rafa texted me a message saying ‘It’s not going to be possible, my knee is not well.’ It’s definitely a big letdown because I know the anticipation [for the match] was there and the tension was so high for the both of us,” said Federer. “I’m obviously excited to be in the final, but not this way. He was playing some of his best tennis again, so I was looking forward to the match and I’m sorry it didn’t happen.”

Nadal still leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head Series 23-15, but they haven’t faced off since the 2017 Shanghai Rolex Masters. The two titans are in the twilight of their careers, so the opportunities for them to play each other are less frequent. As Federer continues his 21st year on tour and Nadal his 18th, it’s only natural for fans to wonder when their last match will be.

But with both men still playing high-quality tennis, Federer is optimistic they’ll put themselves in position to meet again.

“We’ve had so many epic battles and I know every match we have now could be our last. Was this our chance for the last one? I really hope not,” said Federer. “I believe at the level he’s playing and that I’m still going at, there’s going to be more. But if we keep staying up high in the [ATP Rankings], it’s more of a challenge to get to each other in the draw as well.”

Federer is now one match away from a record sixth Indian Wells title as he gets ready to face Dominic Thiem on Sunday. He was just one point away last year from taking sole ownership of the record he shares with Novak Djokovic, but missed three championship points in a heartbreaking third-set tie-break loss to Juan Martin del Potro.

Although Federer has put himself in the same position 12 months later, he won’t be logging in any extra hours on the court in spite of Nadal’s withdrawal.

“I’ve hit so much the last few weeks that I’m happy to save my knees for my body, to be honest,” joked Federer. “We don’t have much time off, so when you do get an afternoon off, you put your feet up, take a massage and spend some time with the family. It’s a big final for me, especially after the tough loss last year…but I’m feeling good and ready to go.”

Five-time BNP Paribas Open champion Roger Federer may not have had to step on the court against second seed Rafael Nadal on Saturday, as the Spaniard withdrew from the tournament due to right knee pain. But nevertheless, Federer is on the verge of history in Indian Wells, one match away from becoming the first player to capture six titles in the California desert.

Federer, who is tied with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at five Indian Wells crowns, will not have it easy in the final against seventh seed Dominic Thiem, who seeks his first ATP Masters 1000 title. This will be the pair’s fifth FedEx ATP Head2Head clash, with each player winning two of their previous meetings. Federer has triumphed in both of their hard court matches.

“I’m just excited to be in another finals here, to be quite honest,” said Federer, who is into his ninth Indian Wells final. “It’s not the way I wanted to get there in a semi-finals walkover, but as we know, it’s how it goes sometimes in tennis.”

Federer has flown through the draw thus far at the first Masters 1000 event of the year, winning all eight sets he has played. The 37-year-old has been broken only once in the tournament, and that came in the second set of his opening-round victory against German Peter Gojowczyk.

Federer, who by triumphing in Dubai earlier this month became the second player in the Open Era to win 100 tour-level titles, is in position to erase bad memories from last year in Indian Wells, where he missed out on three championship points before losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the final.

“I hope I can play a great match. It’s a big tournament, big final for me tomorrow especially after last year’s tough loss against Juan Martin,” Federer said. “I would love to go all the way this year, we’ll see how it goes.”

Across the net will be a hungry Austrian in Thiem. The 25-year-old carries plenty of confidence into the match after his two-hour, 31-minute three-set win in the semi-finals against Milos Raonic. The World No. 8 had not lost a set before dropping the middle set against the Canadian. But he is ready to push for a Masters 1000 breakthrough on Sunday.

Watch Highlights Of Federer & Thiem’s Most Recent Meeting:

“I think he’s playing very well. I think he’s using the kick serve very effectively. The spins, they really bounce up high here in the desert air. I think he’s one of the fittest guys out there and can hit the ball the hardest. I think this surface suits him well for that,” Federer said. “I really hope I can play aggressive tennis against him. But I like his style. He uses the spins and the variations very effectively and for that I think we’ll see some interesting points tomorrow.”

Before this tournament, Thiem, a two-time Mutua Madrid Open finalist, had made the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event on hard courts just once. Coincidentally, that was the most recent tournament at this level: the 2018 Rolex Paris Masters. He has only advanced to the quarter-finals in Indian Wells once, and owns just one win against a Top 10 opponent on the surface (1-10) compared to his eight on clay (8-10). But he feels comfortable on the courts at the BNP Paribas Open, which he believes are similar to those at the US Open, where he pushed Nadal to a fifth-set tie-break in the quarter-finals.

“I was preparing here for 12 days before the tournament. That helped, of course, a lot. This surface and also the one in New York, for example, it suits me pretty well because it’s bouncy, especially during the day,” Thiem said. “It’s not too fast, so it’s a little bit more similar to a clay court. The biggest adjustment is the moving, that I cannot slide around.”

Thiem has done a little bit of everything this tournament, from standing against the flowerbeds at the back of the court to return Raonic’s serves, to stepping up to the baseline to take gargantuan rips at his groundstrokes. One thing’s for sure — he’s going to try to use every tool in his arsenal to prevent Federer from lifting his 28th Masters 1000 title.

“It’s always something special to play him and also something special to compete in a Masters 1000 final. It’s only my third one,” Thiem said. “I know it’s going to be very tough, but same time, I will give everything to hopefully win my first title.” 

Did You Know?
This will be Federer’s 153rd tour-level final, but his first against an Austrian. Federer holds a 10-4 record against Austrians, losing one match apiece against Stefan Koubek (2001 Vienna) and Jurgen Melzer (2011 Monte-Carlo).

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2019
STADIUM 1
Not Before 3:30 pm
ATP – SINGLES FINAL – [7] D. Thiem (AUT) vs [4] R. Federer (SUI)

The Miami Open presented by Itau is the second stop of the March Masters, and like the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, showcases the best men’s and women’s players over two weeks. American Andre Agassi and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic have each won a record six titles at this ATP Masters 1000 tournament. Last year, John Isner became the newest American champion in Miami, joining Agassi, Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang, Jim Courier and Tim Mayotte on the honour roll.

Previously held in Key Biscayne, the Miami Open presented by Itau makes its debut this year at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. There is a 14,000-seat stadium inside the football stadium itself, a Grandstand, 12 tournament courts and 18 practice courts.

Here’s all you need to know about Miami tennis tournament: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who won and more. 

Established:1985

Tournament Dates: 18-31 March 2019

Tournament Director: James Blake

Draw Ceremony: Monday, 18 March 2019 at 12:30 pm ET at the Itau booth

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: 18-19 March at 10am 
* Main draw: Starts 20-26 March at 11am & 7:30pm (22-23 March evening sessions begin at 8pm); 27-28 March at 1pm & 7pm
* Singles semi-finals: Friday, 29 March at 1pm & 7pm
* Doubles final: Saturday, 30 March, second match on centre after 1pm (after women’s singles final)
* Singles final: Sunday, 31 March, not before 1pm 

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV  |  View TV Schedule

Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
Main Court Seating: 14,000

Prize Money: USD $8,359,455 (Total Financial Commitment: USD $9,314,875)  

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic (6)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (5)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 35, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Novak Djokovic, 19, in 2007
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 45 Tim Mayotte in 1985
Most Match Wins: Andre Agassi (61) 

2018 Finals
Singles: [14] John Isner (USA) d [4] Alexander Zverev (GER) 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4   Read & Watch
Doubles: [4] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) d Karen Khachanov (RUS) / Andrey Rublev (RUS) 7-6(4), 7-6(2)  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #MiamiOpen
Facebook: @MiamiOpenTennis
Twitter: @MiamiOpen
Instagram: @MiamiOpen

Did You Know…  The legendary rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal began in Miami, when the two players faced off in the third round of the 2004 tournament. Nadal, 17 years old at the time, dismissed the reigning Australian Open and Indian Wells champion 6-3, 6-3. The following year, Federer came from two sets down to defeat Nadal in the final, 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1. 

What a way to finish! Dominic Thiem punctuated a thrilling semi-final victory at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday with his 25th winner of the match, crashing the net to secure his spot in the Indian Wells championship.

If this match is any indication of the performance Thiem will have in store against Roger Federer on Sunday, fans will be in for a treat. Thiem booked his place in the title match with a highly-entertaining 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-4 victory over Milos Raonic in two hours and 31 minutes. Playing with great confidence from the back of the court, the seventh seed neutralised Raonic’s mammoth game and was in the zone on his own serve.

For the third straight year, the Austrian will appear in the championship of an ATP Masters 1000 event. He is targeting his maiden moment of glory in the desert. Under the tutelage of former Top 10 Chilean star Nicolas Massu, Thiem is already benefitting from the newly formed partnership. Following final defeats on the clay of the Mutua Madrid Open in both 2017 and 2018, the 25-year-old will be hoping the third time is the charm on the Masters 1000 stage.

“It’s always something special to play Roger and also something special to compete in Masters 1000 finals,” said Thiem. “It’s only my third one. I have pretty bad stats in the finals, so I know it’s going to be very tough, but at the same time, I will give everything to hopefully win my first title.”

With actor Ben Stiller looking on, Thiem turned in an efficient serving performance behind 77 per cent points won. He denied the lone break point faced, which came with him serving for the match at 5-4 in the decider. The Austrian captured his first victory in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with Raonic previously prevailing at the 2016 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the Nitto ATP Finals later that year.

The first set saw Thiem fire 10 winners and zero unforced errors, while winning 93 per cent of first-serve points. The 25-year-old eventually took the opener in a tie-break, lacing a backhand winner down-the-line to take a commanding 5/1 lead.

Both players turned in dominant serving displays throughout the afternoon on Stadium 1. Just one break point was earned through the first two sets, with Raonic facing 30/40 at 2-1 in the second. It was promptly dismissed by the Canadian and he would stay the course in forcing yet another tie-break. There, he earned a fortuitous bounce as a backhand clipped the tape and dribbled over for a 5/3 edge. And two points later, Raonic would force a decider.

Thiem was dialed-in as the match entered its final frame, securing the first break of the encounter for 3-2. And as Raonic pressed to break back, a sublime drop shot winner restored Thiem’s command and he would deny a break point when serving for the match at 5-4 30/40. A volley winner sealed the victory after two-and-a-half hours.

“I knew it’s gonna be tough,” Thiem added. “His serve is unreal. I knew that there was going to be probably a tie-break. I played really well the whole match, basically. I didn’t make a lot of unforced errors. And I had a very good first-serve percentage. That was great.

“In general, it was a very good match because the only break point I had to save was in the last game, and that was what I wanted to do, to play my service games well and not give him too many chances.”

Perhaps the most glaring stat of the match was forehand unforced errors, with Raonic striking 23 and Thiem just four. Despite the defeat, the Canadian will hold his head high after another impressive week in Indian Wells. It marked the fourth straight semi-final appearance for the 2016 runner-up. Also a quarter-finalist at the Australian Open in January, the World No. 14 is pushing towards a Top 10 return in the ATP Rankings.

“There were definitely some things I would have liked to do better, but I thought I competed and I tried to figure things out as best as I could,” said Raonic. “It’s the way it goes. He played well. He did the smart things and he did the things better at the end.

“He was pushing me back. He wasn’t missing many first serves. Then he was aggressive from the very first ball. There wasn’t many times that I got to be on the offensive on the return games and when I did, I wasn’t efficient about taking advantage of it.”

In Sunday’s championship, Thiem will face Federer for the fifth time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Split at two wins apiece, the budding rivalry saw Federer most recently triumph at the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals after Thiem won back-to-back encounters in 2016 – on the clay of Rome and grass of Stuttgart.

While Federer is bidding for his 101st tour-level crown, 28th at the ATP Masters 1000 level and a record sixth in Indian Wells, Thiem is vying for his first taste of Masters 1000 glory and first title on outdoor hard courts since Acapulco 2016. He owns an 11-7 record in tour-level finals.