Masters 1000 Indian Wells, day 1: three Argentines make their debut in California, where Carlos Alcaraz is back

With three Argentines on the field and awaiting the debut of Carlos Alcarazarriving in the California desert with a chance to be world number one again, starts that Wednesday the Masters of Indian Wells 1000, the first of nine tournaments in that category that are part of the ATP circuit calendar. And even if we will have to wait to see the Murciano in action, who will debut as a favorite in the second round, the first day of competitions in the Coachella Valley will reserve more than interesting matches, including the albiceleste duel between diego schwartzmann in view of Frederick Coria and the one who will play Pedro Cachin in view of Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Cachín will be the first of the national teams to make their debut. The Cordovan, 66th in the standings, will clash with the Georgian, 118th and never faced rival, in the second round of stadium 5, around 18:00 in our country.

The 27-year-old native of Bell Ville had the best season of his career last year: he won four Challengers, played his first two Grand Slam main draws (he made the second round in Paris and the third in New York) and achieved its best ranking (54th) in November. In this 2023, all focused on the ATP circuit, he still hasn’t managed to win two games in a row and has a 1-8 record (his only victory, on his debut in Buenos Aires).

In Indian Wells he will look to start his season on the track and try to make the first step against Basilashvili, a much more experienced rival at this level, but who is far from his finest hour. Ex 16th in the world and holder of five titles, he didn’t even start the year well, in which he added just one win, in Montpellier.

The winner of that duel will face the German Alexander ZverevSeeded 12th, coming from reaching the semifinals in Dubai.

Schwartzman and Coria will take the field no earlier than 10pm to star in a one hundred percent Argentinian clash between generation mates (both born in 1992). Also, the only two duels they have played in the past took place in (former) Futures, in 2010 and 2012, in Argentina, with the celebrations of the small in both cases.

The porteño, 38th in the standings, is going through a difficult moment in his career. Whoever managed to occupy the eighth step of the standings knew how to beat Rafael Nadal in brick dust Rome and was a semifinalist in Roland Garros (all in 2020), has been struggling since last season to rediscover his tennis and recover the good sensations on the court.

So far, in 2023, Schwartzman has won only one of the seven games he has played (his debut at Australian Open). And he went through the South American brick dust tour without good results, in which she always knew how to perform very well. Even if after the defeat on his debut in Santiago de Chile, against the club Nicholas Jarryhe assured: “I’m leaving with a much better feeling than in previous weeks and I think that little by little the level is returning.”

Coria, meanwhile, will be back on track after a problem with his right shoulder that put him out of the races in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago. Before being injured, the rosario, 64th, had reached the final in Córdoba (the second of his career) and had entered the top 50 in the standings for the first time (49th).

the Norwegian Casper Ruudnumber four in the world, awaits the winner of that albiceleste clash in the second round.

Also in the painting are four other Argentines. Francis Cerundolo27th favorite, he will make his debut against the French in second instance Gregoire Barrere (65°) or the American Jack Sock (guest of the organization). He was also free in the first wheel Sebastian Baez30th seed, who will start against the Swede mikael ymer (57°) or the Australian Rinky Hijikata, coming from the qualy. Moreover, Thomas Etcheverry (61st in the standings and recent finalist in Santiago) will start against the Scotsman Andy Murray (55th) e Guido Pelle (739th, even if he entered the protected classification), against the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (78th).

Alcaraz, for number 1 and Swiatek, for a historic milestone

The main attractions of Indian Wells will be Carlos Alcaraz AND Iga Swiatekwho will try to raise the trophies and also win two extra prizes from the tournament.

The 19-year-old Spaniard, a big favorite, will make his debut against the winner of the match between the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakiscoming from the classification, and from the locale Brandon Holtentered the painting thanks to a joker card. And although he appears as the great candidate to shout champion, he arrives backcombed, due to the hamstring injury of his right leg that he suffered in the Rio final (he lost against Cameron Norie) and which forced him to leave Acapulco.

Beyond the goal of winning his eighth title (the third in this category), the Murciano has the possibility of recovering the number one in the world, lost in mid-January against Novak Djokovic. The absence of the Serb in the Californian desert – he did not receive permission to enter the United States without having been vaccinated against the coronavirus – has left all hands to Carlitos, a semifinalist last year, who will only return to the top if he wins competition.

In the meantime, in the women’s draw, Swiatek will go to the consecration to once again write his name in history. The Polish, leader of the WTA ranking (with 4,485 points ahead of her, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka), will try to repeat last year’s celebration, when they beat the Greeks in the final Maria Saccari. If she succeeds, she will become the first player to revalidate the contest title since then Martina Navratilovchampion in 1990 and 1991.

Swiatek, who reached the final in her last two tournaments (she won in Doha against Jessica Pegula and lost in Dubai against Barbora Krejcikova), is waiting for the winner of the match between the Americans Claire Liu (56th) and the Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck (85°).