Indian Wells Masters 1.000, day 2: Pella and Etcheverry want to maintain the triumphant start of the Argentines

The start of the Argentine Legion in Masters of Indian Wells 1000 it could not have been better. The opening day of the first of the nine tournaments in that category that are part of the ATP professional circuit gave victories of diego schwartzmann (in an Albiceleste duel against Frederick Coria) AND Pedro Cachinso this Thursday two more compatriots want to join the second round: Guido Pellefacing the Brazilian Thiago MonteiroAND Tomás Martin Etcheverrywhich will be measured with the British Andy Murray.

The Bahian Pella, relegated to position 739 in the world ranking, plays no earlier than 17:30 (Argentina time) on court number 5 of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in the Californian desert against the left-handed Monteiro (78), a rival against whom he lost the Last time they met, at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro 2020.

In case of progress to the round, Pella will play his next match against Dutch top seed Tallon Griekspoor (36).

For his part, Etcheverry from La Plata, finalist last Sunday at the ATP 250 in Santiago de Chile, will face the English at 19:00. Andy Murray (55) in the central courtyard with a capacity of 16,000 spectators.

The 23-year-old tennis player, if he advances, already knows he will face the Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta (17).

The contest, which takes place on a concrete surface and features prizes of $10,143,750, has two other Argentine representatives awaiting its premiere, as they will enter directly into the second round: the top albiceleste finisher, Francis Cerundolo (32), will play against the French Gregoire Barrere (65) or the American punch Jack Sock (154), while the Buenos Aires Sebastian Baez (35), this year’s Córdoba Open champion, will do so against the Swede mikael ymer (57) or the Australian Rinky Hijikata (130), emerged from the classification.

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

The main attractions of Indian Wells will be Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who will try to lift the trophies and also win two extra prizes from the tournament.

The 19-year-old top-seeded Spaniard will make his debut against the winner of the clash between Australian Qualifiers Thanasi Kokkinakis and local Brandon Holt, who entered the draw thanks to a wild card. And despite appearing as the great candidate to shout champion, he comes in cotton, due to the hamstring injury in his right leg he suffered in the final in Rio (he lost to Cameron Norrie) and which forced him to leave Acapulco.

Beyond the objective of winning his eighth title (the third in this category), the Murciano has the possibility of recovering the world number one, 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 precedes her escort, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka), will try to repeat last year’s celebrations, when she defeated the Greek Maria Sakkari in the final. If she succeeds, she will become the first player to retain the tournament title since Martina Navratilova, champion in 1990 and 1991.

Swiatek, who reached the final in the last two tournaments played (she won in Doha against Jessica Pegula and lost in Dubai against Barbora Krejcikova), awaits the winner of the clash between the American Claire Liu (56th) and the Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck (85th °).