The highly anticipated Round of 64 at the Indian Wells Open is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, marking the entry of the top 32 seeded players into both the men’s and women’s draws.
Ahead of these crucial second-round matches, here’s an analysis of some notable encounters:
Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka commenced his Indian Wells campaign impressively, delivering 17 aces in his victory against Ethan Quinn. However, his opponent, Ben Shelton, arrives with significant momentum, fresh from a tournament triumph in Dallas and a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open.
Shelton holds a perfect 2-0 head-to-head record against Opelka. Their initial encounter was a tight affair decided by two tie-breaks, and their most recent match in Tokyo in 2024 saw Shelton recover from a set down to claim victory.
Beyond top contenders like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Shelton is widely considered a serious challenger for the title. Opelka, despite his strong serve, is not seen with the same championship potential, and Shelton has historically demonstrated the ability to neutralize his compatriot’s powerful game.
Prediction: Ben Shelton to win 2-0 sets.
Gael Monfils vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
These two players are set to face each other for the first time since their Laver Cup encounter in 2023. Following an early retirement at the Australian Open, Felix Auger-Aliassime has significantly built up his match fitness, securing a title in Montpellier, reaching the final in Rotterdam, and making a semi-final appearance in Dubai.
In contrast, the veteran Gael Monfils has struggled to find consistent form, having not won more than one match at a single event since March of last year. His record stands at 5-14 during that period. The 39-year-old will likely find it challenging to compete against a top-tier player of Auger-Aliassime’s caliber.
Remarkably, ten of the Canadian’s eleven victories since the Australian Open have been achieved in straight sets.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win 2-0 sets.
Iva Jovic vs Camila Osorio
World No. 18 Iva Jovic enters this match as the clear favorite against Camila Osorio, who impressively defeated Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1 in her opening round. Jovic, however, faced a recent defeat in the Round of 16 in Austin against Ajla Tomljanovic, following a straight-sets loss to Jessica Pegula in Dubai.
Osorio displayed dominance on Stephens’ serve, and she aims to continue her excellent recent form, which included winning 10 of 11 matches before a retirement in Merida late in February.
This will be just the second career meeting between these competitors, with Jovic having secured a straight-sets victory in Guadalajara last September. Given Osorio’s current impressive run of form, we believe the underdog has a strong chance to win at least one set.
Prediction: Both players to win a set.
Emma Raducanu vs Anastasia Zakharova
Emma Raducanu has suffered defeats in her last three consecutive matches, including a retirement against Osorio. Setting aside recent discussions about her coaching situation, Raducanu’s start to the current calendar year has been challenging, building on a less-than-stellar second half of 2025.
While she has recorded some victories, the British player has consistently faced difficulties when competing against top-30 ranked opponents. Her most significant win in recent memory dates back to July against Naomi Osaka.
Anastasia Zakharova demonstrated relentless accuracy with her serve in the first round, a factor that could place significant pressure on Raducanu.
Prediction: Over 20.5 total games.