👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.
On tap today, we’ve got: a late-night classic between Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils, a look at the commitment that kept Venus Williams from accepting that Indian Wells wild card, Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva are set to square off, and Carlos Alcaraz gets bee support.
Let’s tennis!
Three Points
🎾 The show: It was a late-night old-school battle worthy of prime time on Stadium One. Grigor Dimitrov vs. Gael Monfils took more than three hours to settle the two tiebreaks and a 6-4 set match. Dimitrov, 33, the young guy on the court was victorious, but it didn’t seem 38-year-old Monfils lost any steam until the very end. Throughout it all, there was insane shot-making, head-scratching acrobatics, and draw-dropping winners (yes, tempered by more than a few unforced errors).
- Watch it!: If you missed the action and have the ability to stream the replay, do it. If you don’t have that option available to you, catch the highlights on Tennis TV’s YouTube Channel.
- Must see: There were tons of great points, but this is the one everyone is talking about.
🎾 A moment worth capturing: In The Daily Theory yesterday, we called out the Jenson Brooksby vs. Jack Draper match as the one to catch. Yes, there were several good matches yesterday. But this one stood out not just for the tennis, as compelling of a battle as it was. It was what happened at the net that’s worth pointing out — a genuine moment of sportsmanship between two competitors that touched on the human side of what Jenson Brooksby has been through in the last few years.
🎾 Now we know: When Venus Williams said she never asked for an Indian Wells wild card, she noted that she had other plans out of the country. Now we know what those plans were: Paris Fashion Week. She stepped out on Monday in a stunning Old Hollywood look for the Lacoste show, creating quite a stir.
And, that’s game.
Watch This!
🔥 Elena Rybakina vs. Mirra Andreeva (4th round WTA 1000 - Indian Wells): Rybakina and Andreeva have only played twice, but both have been three-set nail biters. Watch this one for youth versus experience, for counterpuncher versus pure power, for whimsical versus rigidity. Both players have two solid wins under their belts and appear to have adjusted to the new surface just fine. This match will likely come down to Rybakina’s frame of mind, how well she serves, and how well Andreeva handles the bounce on those serves.
- The record: The Rybakina-Andreeva head-to-head record is tied 1-1. Their most recent meeting was just a few weeks ago on the hard courts of Dubai. Andreeva won that semifinal in three thrilling sets on the way to take her first 1000-level title.
- On the line: Mirra Andreeva wants to make it clear that her 1000 title was no fluke by backing it up with a deep run at Indian Wells. That means going through Rybakina. For Rybakina, she desperately wants to jumpstart her rather mediocre year thanks, in part, to some understandable off-court distractions. She hasn’t won a title in almost a year. That may not change in Indian Wells, but she could change the conversation starting with this match.
On The Radar
- Karolina Muchova vs. Iga Swiatek (4th round WTA 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Holger Rune vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas (4th round ATP 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Marcos Giron vs. Arthur Fils (4th round ATP 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Tommy Paul vs. Daniil Medvedev (4th round ATP 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Qinwen Zheng vs. Marta Kostyuk (4th round WTA 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Tallon Griekspoor vs. Yosuke Watanuki (4th round ATP 1000 - Indian Wells)
- Elina Svitolina vs. Jessica Pegula (4th round WTA 1000 - Indian Wells)
📺 Learn how to watch today’s action over at Tennis Watchers.
Read, Watch, Listen
- Our friends at Racquet have a nice story with just as nice photos from on the grounds during week one of Indian Wells.
- Lucky loser Sonay Kartal is making the most of her Indian Wells run, winning three straight matches. Next up for the Brit: Aryna Sabalenka.
- Andy Roddick talks with Rafa Nadal on Served.
- A Dominican tennis official has been suspended by the ITIA for breaching anti-corruption protocols.
- Last year at Indian Wells, Bee Guy Lance famously had to come to the rescue of Carlos Alcaraz. This year the bees are decidedly cheering Carlitos on.
- Speaking of Carlos Alcaraz, he confirmed the release date of his Netflix documentary with a tattoo.
- On to the Challengers!
