Tennis Matches Today: Top 5 players one shouldn't miss ft. Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray

A stellar roster of players will take to the court in another exciting day at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will commence his title defense on Friday. He had to retire in the first round of his last tournament, the Rio Open, due to an injury. The Spaniard will be aiming for a better run here.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is also in the mix, while two Grand Slam champions will also lock horns in the second round. Here's a line-up of the day's must-see matches at Indian Wells:

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#1 - Andy Murray vs Andrey Rublev

The two gear up for their third career meeting, with each having a win over the other in the past. Murray is aiming to win back-to-back matches for the first time this season, while Rublev hasn't lost before the quarterfinals of any tournament thus far.

Date: March 8, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 9, 2024 (India).

Time: Approx at. 1:00 p.m. PT, 4:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 p.m. GMT, and 2:30 a.m. IST.

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#2 - Iga Swiatek vs Danielle Collins

Iga Swiatek is a former Indian Wells champion.

They are up against each other for the seventh time, with Swiatek having won five of their prior six matches. Collins led the Pole 4-1 in the decider when they faced off at this year's Australian Open but the latter fought back to win the match. The World No. 1 is unlikely to face any trouble this time given the slow conditions at Indian Wells.

Date: March 8, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 9, 2024 (India).

Time: Not before 1:00 p.m. PT, 4:00 p.m. ET, 9:00 p.m. GMT, and 2:30 a.m. IST.

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#3 - Carlos Alcaraz vs Matteo Arnaldi

Alcaraz will take on another fast-rising Italian in the second round. He scored a straightsets win over him when they met at last year's US Open. However, Arnaldi has improved a lot since then and could offer more resistance this time.

Date: March 8, 2024 (USA, Canada) and March 9, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).

Time: Not before 6:00 p.m. PT, 9:00 p.m. ET, 2:00 a.m. GMT, and 7:30 a.m. IST.

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#4 - Jelena Ostapenko vs Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber is a former finalist at Indian Wells.

This match between two Major champions is a must-see. Kerber scored just the second win of her comeback by ousting Petra Martic in the first round at Indian Wells. Ostapenko, meanwhile, has already won two titles this year. The German leads her 2-1 in the head-to-head and their last couple of matches have gone the distance, so this should be quite interesting.

Date: March 8, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 9, 2024 (India).

Time: Starting at 11:00 a.m. PT, 2:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. GMT, and 12:30 a.m. IST.

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#5 - Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis

Sinner hasn't lost a match this year and has been in devastating form. A semifinalist at last year's Indian Wells, he's favored to go all the way this time. He'll begin his quest for a first title here against Kokkinakis, who has lost all three of his previous meetings against the Italian.

Date: March 8, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 9, 2024 (India).

Time: Starting at 11:00 a.m. PT, 2:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. GMT, and 12:30 a.m. IST.

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Where to watch the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells?

Viewers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and India can keep up with all the action taking place at Indian Wells live on the following channels and sites:

USA: All matches will be telecast on Tennis Channel and TC Plus.

UK: The official broadcaster in the region is Sky Sports.

Canada: Viewers in the country can watch all the matches on TSN and TVA.

India: Men's matches can be viewed on Sony Sports, while women's matches can be seen on Tennis Channel.

For more information regarding the broadcast of matches, click here.