This year's edition of Indian Wells has an exciting draw. While the upper half of the board seems a bit airy with Andy Murray, the world no. 1, already out of the picture, the bottom half is jam-packed. Whether we talk about Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, del Potro or the young Aussie star Kyrgios, each one of these guys could easily produce some stunning tennis. With so much value and skills per square inch, the spectrum of some highly entertaining matches seems so wide. The first shock of the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells is set to happen in the round of 32 having Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, and Juan Martin del Potro crossing their paths again few weeks after their clash in Acapulco.
Both players are struggling
Despite making it to the 3rd round, both tennis stars desperately need to put some big wins in their pockets. The Argentine is seeking to build a momentum in 2017 after a delayed start of the season. In the past month, his tennis seemed a bit crunchy, and he failed to get on top of the chances he previously created. The best example is the match in Acapulco. Facing Djokovic, del Potro took the opening set by 6-4, but he failed to keep his head above the floating line in the next two allowing the Serb to walk away from a winning spot.
For Novak Djokovic, the sand and sun of California, despite the general belief, were a fruitful ground over the past years. Now, the defending champion is in a different position as he needs to reassure the herd that his still on top of the game.
With only a title in 2017 ( at Doha in January), Djokovic will face some fierce opposition. His part of the draw also includes Nadal, Federer and Nick Kyrgios who delivered a shocking upset to Djokovic in Acapulco.
Head to head stats
Djokovic and del Potro are looking to their 17th straight meeting. Overall, the Serb seems like a mile away having a 12-4 lead over the Argentine.
On the ATP World Tour stats, del Potro has a single victory against Djokovic dating back from 2013 Indian Wells' semifinals. The other three came at the Olympics (2012, 2016) and in a Davis Cup rubber back in 2011.
Their match from 2013 Indian Wells' edition is also the last time the Serb walk from the Californian tennis court being defeated. His incredible winning streak includes three titles in a row (2014, 2015, 2016).