Tennis News

Following a long layoff due to a right shoulder injury, reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic began his 2015 season this week in Indian Wells, where suffered a premature exit in his opening match in the desert.

While the world No. 10 lost to Juan Monaco in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, he was pleased with his performance, as he didn’t have high expectations for his first match back on tour.

“I wasn’t expecting that I’m going to be playing great tennis, which is always difficult in the first couple of matches,” he said. “Some players do feel great from the beginning, but I’m the kind of player that needs a few matches to get into it.”

It was a difficult road to his return at Indian Wells, and Cilic was not afraid to admit it. He even had some lingering pain in his shoulder, which is why he was unable to serve well.

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“In these last, let’s say 20 days, you get some blisters by not playing,” Cilic admitted. “Your body is sore, shoulder is sore, wrist, things like that. It wasn’t the best, but I’m looking forward. I’m looking at this as good preparation…”

Cilic will now look forward to continuing his steady return to the ATP World Tour by playing doubles with a player who has also been bitten by the injury bug, Juan Martin del Potro.

“You know how important it is to play matches, to play official matches, and to get myself going and to feel this feeling on the court,” he said. “With the doubles, I spoke with Delpo, and he expressed desire to play and also to get back on the court, as well. He’s planning to play in Miami, so a few matches in the doubles is always helpful.”

A riveting encounter between two entertaining competitors in Andy Murray and Philipp Kohlschreiber is scheduled to take place in the third round of the Indian Wells 2015 Masters event on Monday. This is just the third time these two athletes cross paths on the professional circuit, with the head-to-head series tied at 1-1.

Watch the match live here: Murray vs Kohlschreiber Live Stream

The world No. 4 began his week in the desert with a relatively straightforward 6-1, 6-3 over Canadian No. 2 Vasek Pospisil. He struck 14 winners and lived off Pospisil’s error’s to close out the match in 80 minutes. While he felt he needed to make some adjustments following the indoor Davis Cup rubber in Glasgow last week, he appeared to have a grip on the match and a feel for the court from the start.

“It was a good start,” said Murray after the match. “He didn’t serve particularly well. But even still, returning second serves, it was not easy… I thought I played quite a smart match, played solid. I didn’t go for too much, but I also felt like when we were in the rallies, I was dictating them, keeping him pinned in his backhand corner, and pushing him further and further away from the baseline.”

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Murray will come up against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who reached the third round of Indian Wells by beating Tim Smyczek in straight sets 6-3, 6-1. The German struck five aces, won 82% of his first service points and faced no break points en route to the 51-minute thrashing.

This is just the third time these two competitors will cross paths on the tour, and will not be an easy contest for the British No. 1. He has been dealt no favours against his German adversary, who holds a win over Murray back in 2010 on this same surface. While Murray is capable of overcoming the tough battle, he will need to play a clean match-up and remain focused for what could be a long, gruelling battle.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets

The first blockbuster match-up of the 2015 edition of the Indian Wells event is set to take place on Monday evening in the American desert, as world No. 2 Maria Sharapova and two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka will cross paths for the 13th time on the professional tour. Azarenka leads the head-to-head series 7-6, although Sharapova has won their two most recent clashes.

Follow the match Live Here: Azarenka vs Sharapova Live Stream

Seeded second, Maria Sharapova served up a 6-1, 7-5 scoreline against Yanina Wickmayer in her first match at the Premier level event.

“We have had some really good matches in the past, even though we haven’t played against each other in a while,” Sharapova said. “She’s made a few comebacks, and she’s already been playing really good tennis. I always look forward to our matches, and I’m sure it’ll be a good one this time.”

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The 32nd seed at this year’s Indian Wells event, Victoria Azarenka, reached the third round of the tournament after beating former Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. While the scoreline suggests it was a simple match, Azarenka had to fight back from a break down in the second set to close out the match.

“It’s great for me the more matches I can get like that,” Azarenka said of the looming match-up. “To play against one of the best players, it’s perfect. I’m looking forward to that. I definitely need to play my best tennis because she’s been playing great. So I’m really looking forward to that one.”

Sharapova and Azarenka have crossed paths on 13 previous occasions, with the Belarusian leading the series 7-6. However, her Russian adversary won their two most recent meetings on the tour, and will look for the trifecta on Monday at Indian Wells.While Azarenka has improved tremendously over the past few months, she is yet to find the form that will see her beat top ranked opposition consistently.

Prediction: Maria Sharapova in Three Sets

Following a breezy opening match at Indian Wells, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is though to the third round of the Mastes 1000 event, where he will encounter Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas for the first time on the professional tour.

You will be able to follow the match live here: Djokovic vs Ramos-Vinolas Live Stream

The top seed at this year’s edition of the American desert Masters event began his campaign on Saturday evening against former Aussie Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis, whom he defeated in straight sets to advance to the following stage. He beat Baghdatis 6-1, 6-3 in a lopsided affair to move his unblemished record in the head-t-series to 8-0. Djokovic struck 6 aces, won 82% of his first service points and faced no break points en route to his 60 minute win.

“Great performance against a quality opponent, against somebody that was a former Top 10 player and that knows how to play on a big stage,” Djokovic said. “No complaints. Everything was working well from the beginning to the end.”

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Through two rounds at Indian Wells this week, world No. 68 Albert Ramos defeated Viktor Troicki in his opening round match in straight sets, and then followed up with a win over France’s Julien Benneteau. The latter he won in decisive fashion, 6-2, 6-3 to secure his spot in the third round against Djokovic. He struck 13 aces in that match, and won 81% of his first service points, all while breaking serve on five occasions.

This marks the first time that Djokovic and Ramos-Vinolas will cross paths on the professional tour. The Serbian star will undoubtedly have a noticeable advantage against his Spanish counterpart, and will look to implement it immediately en route to another straightforward victory. Given that Djokovic is the defending champion and has had great success at this event, he should have little trouble making it to next week.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in Straight Sets

In her first match in over a month, and under the guidance of a new coach, Canadian darling Eugenie Bouchard cruised into the third round of the Indian Wells tournament. Following her impressive showing, she will come up against local favourite Coco Vandeweghe, whom she has never faced previously on the professional tour.

You will be able to follow the match Live Here: Bouchard vs Vandeweghe Live Streaming

Apart from a slight opening set hiccup that could have swayed the result, Eugenie Bouchard looked great in her first match back on tour, and defeated Czech Republic’s Lucie Hradecka in straight sets to advance to the third round of the tournament. She routed her 6-2, 6-2 in just 57 minutes.

Given that much has changed in the Bouchard camp over the past few months, the rising star is simply pleased to have notched a win at Indian Wells and to have gotten over the first hump.

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“I haven’t had all that much time to practice, so I just wanted to get the feel of a match. I don’t overthink it in a match, I go back to what I do, and what I’m used to.,” Bouchard said. “I will not be changing things, but definitely adding some things to my game. Overall I’m happy today that I did the basics well, and that’s one big step forward.”

World No. 36 Coco Vandeweghe reached the third round at Indian Wells following a straight sets win against Sesil Karatantcheva. She won the match 6-2, 6-3 and did so after serving at 70% of her first serve points. The match lasted a total of 62 minutes.

Bouchard and Vandeweghe have never crossed paths previously on the WTA tour. Given that the Canadian looked great in her first match back, one would lean towards her continuing that trend into the second week of the tournament. However, she could have some trouble against the big serving Vandeweghe.

Prediction: Eugenie Bouchard in Three Sets

After downing a local favourite in his first match at the 2015 edition of the Indian Wells Masters event, Kei Nishikori is through to the third round, where he will encounter Spain’s Fernando Verdasco for the third time on the professional tour. The Japanese No. 1 is yet to notch his first win against Verdasco, who compiled a 2-0 lead in the head to head series between 2011-12.

Follow the match Live Here: Nishikori vs Verdasco Live Streaming

Fifth seed Kei Nishikori reached the third round of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against American Ryan Harrison. He withstood five aces and won 63% of his first service points to close out the match in one hour and 27 minutes.

“The first match is always tough,” said Nishikori. “But there were so many ups and downs in the first set. Almost every game we couldn’t hold serve, but we also returned well. That’s why there were a lot of breaks.

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“The second set I was playing an almost perfect game. I was hitting good serves. No break points. I think I didn’t face any break points. Luckily I got the first break, so it was easier mentally to hit a lot of good shots. But I’m really happy to win today and I’m looking forward to playing the next round.”

Awaiting Nishikori in the third round is Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, who reached that stage of the tournament with a 6-2, 7-6(3) win over qualifier James Duckworth. While the second set was a competitive affair, Verdasco faced no break points on serve and finished the match in one hour and 18 minutes.

This marks the third time that these two competitors will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, with Verdasco leading the series 2-0. While he is yet to lose a match to the Japanese No. 1, they have not played a match together in over three years, which renders the h2h useless. Given the changes over that time, it would not be surprising if Nishikori finally notches that elusive win over Verdasco.

Prediction: Kei NIshikori in Three Sets

Following a solid few weeks in South America during the Golden Swing former champion Rafael Nadal is back on American soil, where he will compete at the Indian Wells Masters event. The Spaniard will begin his week against Igor Sijsling, whom he has never encountered previously on the professional tour.

Follow the match Live Here: Nadal vs Sijsling Live Streaming

Rafael Nadal lived up to his billing as the top seed of the Argentina Open, as he worked his way through the draw to eventually lift the crown following a quick final against Juan Monaco. Prior to that, he had lost in the semi-final round in Rio to Fabio Fognini, which snapped a 52-match win streak in semi-final matches on clay.

While this is the first time in a while that the Big Four are all present together at a Masters 1000 event, Nadal told ibtimes.com that he does not make much of that, In fact, he believes their era is actually nearing an end.

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“Novak, Andy, Roger, myself – it’s something special and it’s finishing,” Nadal chimed in. “I don’t know if (it will happen) in one, two, three, four years, but for everybody it finishes, hopefully we created a good example for the next generations.”

The Spaniard will come up against Igor Sijsling, who needed three sets to get past Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. He struck nine aces, served at 60% and saved 13 break points he faced in the match to close out the contest in one hour and 58 minutes.

This marks the first time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour. Nadal will undoubtedly be the favourite in this encounter and should have little trouble en route to the third round of the tournament.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Straight Sets

Following a strong start to his run at Indian Wells, rising Australian star Nick Kyrgios has been matched up with in a riveting second round clash against world No. 11 Grigor Dimitrov. The outstanding match-up will be the first that these two competitors will play against each other, but is hardly going to be their last.

Follow the match Live Here: Dimitrov vs Kyrgios Live Streaming

World No. 11 Grigor Dimitrov is coming off a second round exit in Acapulco last week, as well as a similar result in Rotterdam before that. He began his season with a semi-final loss to Roger Federer in Brisbane and a fourth round appearance at the Australian Open. He is yet to find his top form this season but should be motivated to perform this week at Indian Wells.

“He’s one of the best players in the world right now and that’s why I play the sport, to have a chance to go out there and compete against the best players in the world,” Kyrgios said about his upcoming opponent. “I’m just going to go out there and have a lot of fun again.”

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Kyrgios began his week in the American desert against Denis Kudla, whom he defeated in straight sets to earn his first win since the Australian Open. The 19-year-old has been out of action since reaching the quarter-final stage of the season-opening Grand Slam event, and will be looking to complete another impressive week at the Masters 1000 event.

“I’m just glad to be back. It was killing me not being able to play, especially after the Australian Open,” he said. “I was loving it. I had a good time back home, and I was ready to get back out there and start competing again. I thought I played really well for my first match back. He’s not an easy opponent. He’s playing some really good tennis, so I’m really proud of myself.”

This marks the first ever meeting between Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios and is certainly one of the matches that fans will be attracted to. Both players are entertaining, flashy players who know how to impress a crowd, while simultaneously producing strong tennis. Dimitrov should have the advantage against the player ranked 26 spots below him.

Prediction: Grigor Dimitrov in Three Sets

It is not often that one finds all eyes on a single particular tennis match at an event as big as the “fifth slam” Indian Wells. However, that was certainly the case in Serena Williams’ emotional return to the tournament following a 14-year absence. Following her opening victory, she is through to the third round of the tournament, where she will face Zarina Diyas for the first time on the professional tour.

Follow the match Live Here: Williams vs Diyas Live Streaming

While it was a match that the top seed could have breezed through under any other circumstances, that was certainly not the case on Friday night at Indian Wells. The American struggled at several portions of her match against Monica Niculescu and but eventually managed to close out the encounter 7-5, 7-5.

“I feel really good. I feel like the nerves have kind of gone away. I feel better,” Williams said in her post-match press conference. “I was a little nervous. The weeks leading up to it, days leading up to it, and eventually the hours, it was a little nerve-wracking. But now I’m good that I was able to do this.

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“It definitely feels like one of the biggest and proudest moments of my career.”

There was even a few tears following the match.

“At that moment I just felt so good to be out there. I felt like I made the right decision and I knew I wanted to do it – I knew I really wanted to do it. But up until that moment, I didn’t really know if it was the right thing to do.”

Now thorough to the third round, Williams will come up against Zarina Diyas, who defeated Donna Vekic in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, to set up the match.

This marks the first time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, and will certainly be another one of the matches that Williams should win, even if it is somewhat of a struggle. After putting her return match behind her, the rest of the tournament should be nothing more than business as usual.

Prediction: Serena Williams in Straight Sets

Another player undergoing a difficult week at the American desert is Simona Halep, who plays at the tournament this year with a heavy heart following a tragedy that occurred in her family on Monday. After a slow start in her opening match, she is through to the third round of the Premier event and will look to battle onwards when she crosses paths with Varvara Lepchenko. This is just the second time that these two competitors will cross paths on the WTA tour, with the Romanian leading the head-to-head series 1-0.

Follow the match Live Here: Halep vs Lepchenko Live Streaming

The third seed had an early hiccup in her opening match against Russia’s Daria Gavrilova but was able to rally back and earn the 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Once she overcame the first set, she settled into the match and regained command, after which she dropped a mere three games.

“It was my first time playing against her, and I didn’t know how she was playing, and I went on court very nervous and my forehand wasn’t working well,” Halep said. “She plays really tough. She runs a lot and she’s a good defender. I just had to relax and do everything I could to win every point.

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Halep was also asked bout the tragedy that took place in her family.

“It’s really tough to speak about this situation. It’s a painful situation for everyone, for me and for my family,” she commented. “I just wanted to play this tournament because he loved tennis. He played tennis for many years. So I decided to stay here, because it was a little bit easier to pass this situation. I just want to dedicate this match to him, because he loved tennis and he was very talented.”

In the third round, Halep will encounter Lepchenko, who defeated wildcard Sachia Vickery, 6-4, 6-1.

This marks the second time that Halep and Lepchenko will cross paths on the professional tour, with Halep leading the series 1-0. Their sole meeting took place in the second round of the 2014 edition of the Australian Open, which lasted three sets. While it is very possible that Halep will struggle again this time around, she should still be a significant favourite to advance to the next stage of the tournament.

Prediction: Simona Halep in Three Sets