INDIAN WELLS — Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz could play
five-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Indian
Wells Open as the draw for ATP 1000 event was made on Tuesday (IST).
The two superstars last met in a blockbuster
quarter-final at the Australian Open, which was won by Djokovic in four sets.
Both men will have to be ready to roll early in the event with tricky draws.
Alcaraz will begin his title defence against Frenchman
Quentin Halys or a qualifier. The Spaniard has never played Halys. The first
seeded opponent the 21-year-old could battle is in-form 27th seed Denis
Shapovalov, who claimed his maiden ATP 500 crown in Dallas.
Djokovic could take on Nick Kyrgios in the second round.
The Australian, who played Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, will open
against a qualifier.
If the Alcaraz-Djokovic blockbuster comes to fruition, it
would be their ninth ATP Head-to-Head showdown. Djokovic leads their series
5-3, ATP reports.
Top seed Alexander Zverev is pursuing his first Indian
Wells trophy. He will be keen to get on track at the season's first ATP Masters
1000 event, having won four of his past seven matches.
The German will face Tallon Griekspoor or Miomir
Kecmanovic in the second round. Big-serving 29th seed Giovanni Mpetshi
Perricard is a potential third-round opponent for Zverev.
Third seed Taylor Fritz will try to add to his Indian
Wells resume, beginning with his second-round clash against Argentine Sebastian
Baez or a qualifier.
Fritz owns a 20-7 record at the Paribas Open according to
the ATP Win/Loss Index. The American has not fallen short of the Round of 16
since 2019.
All eyes will be on 18-year-old Joao Fonseca when he
takes the court for a very challenging first round tilt with Great Britain’s
Jacob Fearnley. The winner faces No. 13-seeded Jack Draper in round two.
Fonseca won his first Grand Slam match at the Australian
Open in January, and last month became the tenth-youngest title winner in ATP
history at Buenos Aires.