Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner kicks off his Indian Wells bid against Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday, while American upstart Ben Shelton takes on the surging Jakub Mensik in a second-round battle of rising stars.
(3) Jannik Sinner vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
Jannik Sinner might not be the top-ranked tennis player in the world (he is No. 3 right now), but it would be hard to make a convincing argument that he’s not the best tennis player in the world. The 22-year-old Italian is undefeated in 2024, highlighted by his epic run to his first major title in Melbourne in January. He took out three top-five players including Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. Sinner also won the title in Rotterdam last month to go 12-0 on the season so far.
Sinner’s first opponent in at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday is Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Aussie is no stranger to Sinner. The two men have met on three other occasions; Sinner won them all. Unfortunately for Kokkinakis, he encounters an opponent who is playing the best tennis of his career (and who has had plenty of rest).
Expect Sinner to wrap this one up in straight sets.
Cheryl pick: Sinner in 2
Ricky pick: Sinner in 2
(16) Ben Shelton vs. (WC) Jakub Mensik
Jakub Mensik, the Czech teen who stormed onto the international tennis scene last month, is looking to stake a legitimate claim in men’s tennis. The 18-year-old came out of nowhere to earn a spot in the final of Doha (lost to Karen Khachanov) in February. He picked up an unfortunate elbow injury that forced him to retire in the second round in Dubai. There was strapping on his elbow in his first round-match against Seongchan Hong on Thursday.
Mensik will take on big-serving American Ben Shelton in the second round. The 21-year-old made a name for himself at the U.S. Open last year, where he reached the semifinals (lost to Novak Djokovic). Shelton has generally played well in 2024, with semifinals in Auckland and Dallas, but he came up short at the Australian Open–where he dropped a five-set heartbreaker in the third round to Adrian Mannarino.
If both men were healthy, this would likely have been the match of the second round. It may still be, but with Mensik seemingly still nursing the bum elbow and Shelton and his big serve playing at home, the 16th seed should pull this one out.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 3
Ricky pick: Shelton in 2
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