Fully fit and raring to go, qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis will look to continue his strong start to the season on Thursday, beginning his BNP Paribas Open campaign against American Sebastian Korda.
After battling through qualifying, Kokkinakis will make his first main-draw appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event since 2015, when he reached the fourth round. The Australian, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, has been rejuvenated this season. He captured his maiden tour-level title at the Adelaide International 2, before soaring to the Australian Open men’s doubles title with countryman Nick Kyrgios.
Kokkinakis: ‘You’re Only One Week From Turning Your Career Around’
Kokkinakis’ impressive season has seen him rise back into the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings, and the World No. 97 is delighted with his mentality at the start of 2022.
“I knew I was capable of winning a couple of matches,” Kokkinakis told ATPTour.com. “I knew what I could play like [at my] top level, but to back it up and have that consistency, that’s been the most impressive part.”
However, Kokkinakis faces a tough opening test in the California desert against World No. 38 Korda, who defeated the 25-year-old in straight sets in their only previous meeting in Delray Beach last month.
Korda enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season as he cracked the Top 50, won his maiden tour-level title in Parma and reached the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals championship match. Making his second appearance in Indian Wells, the 21-year-old will face Rafael Nadal if he can overcome Kokkinakis on Stadium 2.
View Draw | View Thursday’s Schedule
Wild card Kyrgios will kick off his tournament on Stadium 1 against Argentine Sebastian Baez in their first ATP Head2Head meeting. Competing in his second event of the season, Kyrgios is making his first appearance in Indian Wells since 2019, with his best result at the hard-court event coming in 2017 when he advanced to the quarter-finals.
Baez, currently at a career-high No. 60 in the ATP Rankings, arrives in good form, having reached his maiden tour-level final on the clay in Santiago last month. He is making his tournament debut.
Also on Stadium 1, American Jenson Brooksby will look to entertain the home crowd when he faces Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. The World No. 43 has risen rapidly up the ATP Rankings in the past 12 months and will look to improve on his 2021 performance in Indian Wells when he reached the second round.
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In other action, World No. 59 Mackenzie McDonald opens play on Stadium 1 against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in their first ATP Head2Head meeting, while #NextGenATP pair Lorenzo Musetti and Juan Manuel Cerundolo face Marcos Giron and wild card Jack Sock respectively. Stefanos Tsitsipas will play Cerundolo or Sock in the second round.
Borna Coric returns to the Tour for the first time since he advanced to the semi-finals in Rotterdam last March, taking on Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Stadium 5. Italian Fabio Fognini will carry a 4-1 ATP Head2Head lead into his clash against Pablo Andujar, with American Maxime Cressy facing countryman Christopher Eubanks.
SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, 10 MARCH 2022
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
ATP – M. McDonald (USA) vs M. Fucsovics (HUN)
ATP – J. Brooksby (USA) vs R. Carballes Baena (ESP)
Not Before 3:00 PM
WTA – S. Stephens (USA) vs N. Osaka (JPN)
Not Before 6:00 pm
ATP – [WC] N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs S. Baez (ARG)
Not Before 8:00 PM
WTA – A. Anisimova (USA) vs [WC] E. Navarro (USA)
STADIUM 2 start 11:00 am
WTA – [Q] A. Krueger (USA) vs Y. Putintseva (KAZ)
WTA – [Q] D. Saville (AUS) vs S. Zhang (CHN)
ATP – J. Cerundolo (ARG) vs [WC] J. Sock (USA)
Not Before 6:00 PM
WTA – N. Parrizas Diaz (ESP) vs S. Rogers (USA)
ATP – S. Korda (USA) vs [Q] T. Kokkinakis (AUS)
STADIUM 3 start 11:00 am
ATP – F. Fognini (ITA) vs P. Andujar (ESP)
ATP – M. Giron (USA) vs L. Musetti (ITA)
ATP – F. Coria (ARG) vs [PR] P. Cuevas (URU)
Not Before 5:00 PM
WTA – [3] C. Gauff (USA) / C. McNally (USA) vs [WC] L. Davis (USA) / C. McHale (USA)
WTA – [DA SR] K. Flipkens (BEL) / S. Mirza (IND) vs S. Aoyama (JPN) / A. Krunic (SRB)
STADIUM 4 start 11:00 am
WTA – [Q] H. Watson (GBR) vs T. Martincova (CZE)
WTA – [Q] K. Boulter (GBR) vs J. Paolini (ITA)
Not Before 3:00 pm
ATP – [Q] C. Eubanks (USA) vs M. Cressy (USA)
After Suitable Rest
WTA – [OSE] A. Cornet (FRA) / L. Fernandez (CAN) vs [2] S. Stosur (AUS) / S. Zhang (CHN)
ATP – P. Martinez (ESP) vs [LL] J. Sousa (POR)
STADIUM 5 start 11:00 am
ATP – F. Krajinovic (SRB) vs D. Lajovic (SRB)
ATP – [PR] B. Coric (CRO) vs A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Not Before 3:00 pm
ATP – [Q] J. Wolf (USA) vs H. Gaston (FRA)
ATP – [Q] T. Machac (CZE) vs A. Popyrin (AUS)
STADIUM 6 start 11:00 am
WTA – A. Van Uytvanck (BEL) vs [Q] D. Galfi (HUN)
WTA – M. Kostyuk (UKR) vs M. Zanevska (BEL)
WTA – K. Siniakova (CZE) vs I. Begu (ROU)
WTA – [Q] Q. Wang (CHN) vs [Q] M. Bouzkova
STADIUM 7 start 11:00 am
WTA – [LL] M. Frech (POL) vs M. Sherif (EGY)
WTA – K. Kucova (SVK) vs E. Ruse (ROU)
WTA – O. Dodin (FRA) vs [Q] K. Juvan (SLO)
WTA – A. Danilina (KAZ) / B. Haddad Maia (BRA) vs [DA SR] L. Siegemund (GER) / V. Zvonareva
STADIUM 9 start 11:00 am
ATP – B. Bonzi (FRA) vs A. Rinderknech (FRA)
ATP – S. Kwon (KOR) vs L. Djere (SRB)
WTA – [OSE] A. Kontaveit (EST) / E. Rybakina (KAZ) vs [WC] S. Kenin (USA) / A. Riske (USA)
WTA – M. Linette (POL) vs A. Petkovic (GER)
WTA – C. Osorio (COL) vs A. Sasnovich