Indian Wells, Day 3 Preview: Top seed Zverev, defending champion Swiatek begin

Tommy Paul vs. Tristan Boyer

>>> Watch live HERE, 2 p.m. ET

While this match goes on bright and early at 11:00 a.m. local time, Stadium 3 should already be well populated. Paul is a a top American, and a popular one, but the fan favorite may be Boyer. The Altadena native, who received a wild card into the main draw, has become something of a local hero since the wildfires overran his hometown two months ago.

Read More: Altadena and Pacific Palisades tennis communities hit, hurt and healing from devastating fires

The 27-year-old Paul and the 23-year-old Boyer have never played, but Paul will start as the clear favorite. He’s ranked 11 to Boyer’s 117th, and boasts more than $10 million in career prize money compared to Boyer’s $391,000.

The tall and sturdy Boyer pummels the ball and bulls his way forward, while Paul is the better athlete and plays the more well-rounded game. Boyer’s best hope may be manufacturing some momentum on his service games, and feeding off the crowd’s energy. That would make this one more fun, but Paul probably has the speed and experience to survive. Winner: Paul

Alexander Zverev v. Tallon Griekspoor

>>> Watch live HERE, 2 p.m. ET

The German and the Dutchman got to know each other well in 2024. They played four times, including at Indian Wells, and Zverev won all four times. That may sound totally one-sided, but the end results are a little deceiving. Zverev won two of those matches in final-set tiebreakers, and the other two featured first-set sets that ended in breakers as well.

That may be because Zverev and Griekspoor, while they have different builds and demeanors, do similar things with the ball. They like to grind, with topspin forehands and two-handed backhands. While Zverev is ranked 41 spots ahead (No. 2 to No. 43), Griekspoor has shown that he can nearly match him at his own game. Last month in Dubai, he also showed that he can knock off a Top 10 opponent, when he beat Daniil Medvedev in Dubai.

While Zverev is the top seed, he may be vulnerable. He didn’t have a strong February in South America. Griekspoor led him late in their Roland Garros encounter last year, but couldn’t close. Might we see a similar ending on Friday? Winner: Zverev

Iga Swiatek vs. Caroline Garcia

>>> Watch live HERE, 4 p.m. ET

These two have had their battles. Garcia surprised Swiatek during her best year, on her favorite surface, and in her home country, when she beat her on a clay court in Warsaw in 2022. Since the, Swiatak has exacted her revenge three times, but two of those matches went to a deciding set.

Read More: Lindsay Davenport: Will Iga Swiatek ‘flip the switch’ at the BNP Paribas Open?

As is usually the case with the streaky Garcia, much will depend on whether she’s hot or cold. If she’s clicking, she’s someone with the pace and attacking ability to rush and rattle Swiatek and force her into errors. If she’s cold, then…she won’t do any of those things.

Swiatek is a two-time Indian Wells champion who has liked the slow courts there in the past. She said the new surface didn’t seem a whole lot different to her in practice. We’ll see whether she was right on Friday. Winner: Swiatek