BNP Paribas Open 2019
There are many superb tennis tournaments to watch throughout the season, but only a select few can hold a candle to the quality of play and star power that the Indian Wells can attract.
The beautiful Indian Wells Tennis Garden bore witness to some of the most fantastic hard-court tennis early in the tennis season, and this Masters 1000 competition is a big opportunity for the athletes to inch closer to the top ranks of the WTA and the ATP.
There are plenty of interesting storylines developing as the Men’s Singles qualifiers come to a close, and the usual suspects will be swinging their weight around while the rest of the men in the tournament try to climb as high as they can.
How will this tournament pan out after its defending champion decided to sit out of his title defence? Can Novak Djokovic be stopped? Can Roger Federer make more history?
These are the questions the SBOBET tennis team will address.
Talking Points
An empty throne awaits
Juan Martin Del Potro is the defending champion after winning the title over Roger Federer in a fashionable manner. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to defend his crown as the injury bug struck once again.
Without Del Potro to defend his crown, the way to the Indian Wells trophy is clearer than ever. Given the number of quality players available to compete, it’s hard to tell which one will have a shot at the title.
Alexander Zverev is steadily climbing up the steep ATP mountain as his prodigious talents saw him build a reputation as a terrific tennis player. Many are already lauding him after taking Djokovic down in the ATP Finals. The Indian Wells 2019 betting odds for the young German is already looking good, and we can expect a good game from him.
Raphael Nadal will always be a favourite to win regardless of the competition he joins. His powerful serves and dominant all-around play will always make him a favourite amongst the neutrals and the fans that flock the Tennis Garden. He is one of the men looked upon to try and put a stop to Djokovic’s run.
Kei Nishikori, Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Milos Raonic, and John Isner are the other notable names in the competition. All of them can make a deep run towards the title. However, their fates lie in the luck of the draw because they could face the Djoker in the early rounds.
Djokovic eyes the vacant crown
Novak Djokovic is arguably the biggest favourite to win the entire thing, and his current playing form is nothing to be scoffed at.
Everyone remembers how he slumped out of the summit for almost two years as a mix of injury and poor form kept him out of the contest. All of the doubters have since been silenced by his roaring return to the top in 2018, and his historic victory in Australia showed everyone that the king is back.
He said that his two-year slump was unpleasant but necessary: “I had to really dig deep and just understand and use that as an opportunity to grow,” he said during the most recent Laureus World Sports Awards.
With a man like Djokovic locked in on the title, who would even dare to stop him?
The king wants more
Roger Federer is easily the biggest threat to Djokovic’s Indian Wells hopes, and his run in this year’s tournament will be as important to Djokovic as his own run.
The mere fact that he won 100 career titles in his 21-year run is already a huge testament to his skill and winning mentality. One can argue that the man is now only playing to catch up to Jimmy Connors. He has cemented his position as the greatest male athlete to ever pick up the tennis racket.
He quietly reached the 100-mark after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. Some of the sport’s fans are already expecting good Indian Wells 2019 results from the GOAT. While his early exit in the Australian Open’s Round of 16 was disappointing, it cannot be denied that all eyes will still be on the Swiss maestro.
Whether he makes the final again this year is another question altogether.
History
Both Djokovic and Federer have vested interests in winning this year’s competition: they are tied for the tournament’s most titles won. Federer’s last triumph was in 2017 while Djokovic won three straight titles from 2014 to 2016.
Last year’s finals also saw Roger put up an admirable fight against Del Potro, but the beautiful Californian backdrop witnessed the Argentine come out on top after an epic final.
What are the odds?
Novak Djokovic is the heavy favourite to win the competition at 1.75, and it’s not hard to see why. The way he dominated the first couple of tournaments this year is a terrifying testament to his form. I’m not sure if there’s anyone who can truly stop the Serbian from getting what he wants.
Federer and Nadal are the next favourites at 5.50, while the bookies gave Zverev a very impressive 12.00. The usual suspects in Kyrgios (16.00), Cilic (21.00), Raonic (31.00), and Anderson (41.00) also got good odds.
Keep your eyes peeled on the SBOBET tennis page for more news and views about the Indian Wells!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE TENNIS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
