Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images) – Photo by Icon Sport
Andrey Rublev vs Jiri Lehecka: Indian Wells Masters – Third round
For a second consecutive year, Andrey Rublev and Jiri Lehecka will face each other at the Indian Wells Masters.
Andrey Rublev Profile
Andrey Rublev has the best ranking in his career, being fifth in the world. The Russian is 15-4 for the season and 13-3 on hard surfaces.
He is coming off a 7-6, 6-1 win in the second round against the former world No. 1, Andy Murray.
That was the first match for Rublev after he got disqualified during the semifinal in Dubai after verbally attacking the line judge.
Earlier this season, Rublev won the tournament in Hong Kong and made it to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, and Doha.
Rublev has been playing in Indian Wells since 2016, and his best result was the semifinal in 2022, when he lost to Taylor Fritz.
Jiri Lehecka Profile
Jiri Lehecka is 32nd in the ATP rankings, nine spots lower than his career high. The player from the Czech Republic is 11-6 for the season and 9-4 on hard surface.
He is coming off a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Brandon Nakashima in the second round.
Last week, Lehecka retired in the quarterfinal in Dubai being down 6-4, 4-1 against Alexander Bublik.
Earlier this season, Lehecka won the tournament in Adelaide defeating John Draper in the final after being a set down.
This is Lehecka’s second appearance in Indian Wells after he lost in the second round last year to Andrey Rublev.
Head-to-Head Rublev leads 2-1
- Rublev vs Lehecka 6-4, 6-2 (2023 Indian Wells, second round)
- Lehecka vs Rublev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 (2023 ATP Doha, quarterfinal)
- Rublev vs Lehecka 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 (2022 ATP Belgrade, round of 16)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players have won a title so far in the season and have huge ambitions in Indian Wells. They faced each other last year at the same tournament, with the Russian winning in straight sets. He is a major favorite in this one but Lehecka is the type of player who can beat someone from the top 10. This will be the fourth time these two face each other and we are going with Lehecka winning at least one set.
