Ugo Humbert and Tommy Paul will be aiming for a spot in the last 16 at the Indian Wells Masters when they take the court on Monday. Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils are also on the schedule as third-round competition wraps up.
(17) Tommy Paul vs. (14) Ugo Humbert
Both Humbert and Paul have been in stellar form as they head into round three of the BNP Paribas Open, each man undoubtedly with the idea of breaking into the top 10 this season. They will be facing each other for the third time on Monday in a showdown that would be worthy of a quarterfinal. Both of their previous encounters have gone Paul’s way; 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 at the 2018 Champaign Challenger and 6-1, 7-6(4) at last summer’s Cincinnati Masters–also in the third round.
Paul once again has home-court advantage in the United States, where he continues to play some of his best tennis. The world No. 17 won the Dallas title last month and one week later finished runner-up to Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach. Paul opened in Indian Wells with a dominant performance, beating compatriot Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-2. A similarly red-hot Humbert improved to 14-3 this season with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Patrick Kypson. The 14th-ranked Frenchman is on fire, but he would be served best against Paul on an indoor hard court or grass. Conditions in the desert slightly favor Paul, plus he will take confidence from his two previous victories over Humbert.
Pick: Paul in 3
(9) Casper Ruud vs. Arthur Fils
Ruud has reached the final of two consecutive tournaments, and given the favorable conditions in Indian Wells a third straight final appearance is not entirely out of the question. The ninth-ranked Norwegian was runner-up in both Los Cabos and Acapulco and his 14th win on hard courts this year–which came when he beat an in-form Lukas Klein 6-4, 7-6(4) on Saturday–already matched his entire total from the 2023 campaign.
Up next for Ruud on Monday is Fils, who dominated their only previous encounter 6-0, 6-4 last summer on the red clay of Hamburg. However, the current Ruud looks like the Ruud of 2022–not the Ruud of 2023–and Fils has not yet made significant strides since last season. The 19-year-old Frenchman has done well to defeat Nuno Borges and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina so far in Indian Wells, but Ruud represents a step up in competition.
Pick: Ruud in 2
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