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Arthur Fils vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: Indian Wells Masters – Second round
One of the rising stars on the tour, Arthur Fils, will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of Indian Wells on Saturday.
Arthur Fils Profile
Arthur Fils is 43rd in the ATP rankings, nine spots lower than his career high. The 19-year-old Frenchman is 8-6 for the season and 7-3 on hard surface.
He is coming off a 7-6, 6-2 win in the opening round against Nuno Borges.
Last week, Fils made it to the quarterfinals in Santiago, where he lost to Pedro Martinez. Previously, he lost in the first rounds in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires
Fils’ best result this season came in Auckland, where he reached the semifinals before losing to Alejandro Tabilo.
Last year, Fils won his first career title in Lyon.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Profile
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is 23rd in the ATP rankings, only two spots lower than his career-high. The Spaniard is 7-5 for the season and 5-3 on hard surface.
The 24-year-old is coming off a quarterfinal loss in Dubai to Daniil Medvedev. He reached the same stage in Marseille and lost in the opening rounds in Doha and Rotterdam.
This is the fourth appearance in Indian Wells for Davidovich Fokina and his best result came last year when he reached the quarterfinal.
Head-to-Head Davidovich Fokina leads 2-1
- Fils vs Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 7-5 (2023 ATP Shanghai, second round)
- Davidovich Fokina vs Fils 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 (2023 Wimbledon, first round)
- Davidovich Fokina vs Fils 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 (2023 French Open, first round)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players got into the season with high ambitions, but they have yet to make a significant result. Davidovich Fokina struggled with injuries last season, and it seems he is coming back to full form. Fils is still a teenager, and he prefers playing on clay courts. Both players move well on the court and can run a lot. They played three times last season, meaning that they know each other very well. It will be a tight battle, with Davidovich Fokina being stronger in the crucial moments and advance to the third round.