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Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu are among those who headline the day's play on Day 2 of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
This was supposed to be eve of the highly anticipated return of Rafael Nadal to the ATP Tour. Unfortunately, he has now withdrawn from the tournament as he felt that he's not ready to compete at the highest level just yet.
But even after Nadal's withdrawal, the day's schedule still features quite a few prominent players. So here's a quick look at the day's unmissable matches lined up at Indian Wells:
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#1 - Emma Raducanu vs Rebeka Masarova
Raducanu's comeback from an injury layoff has been average at best thus far. She made it to the second round of her first three tournaments, including the Australian Open. She was eliminated by Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of her most recent event, the Qatar Open.
Masarova came through the qualifying rounds with wins over Heather Watson and Linda Fruhvirtova to reach the main draw. Raducanu overcame a sluggish start last year to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells. The Brit will be favored to make a winning start once again as her recent results are much better than her opponent's.
Date: March 7, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 8, 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.
#2 - Naomi Osaka vs Sara Errani
Osaka made a winning start to her comeback following maternity leave as she defeated Tamara Korpatsch in the first round of the Brisbane International. She hit a roadblock after that as she lost her next three matches.
Osaka notched up her best result in ages with a quarterfinal finish at the Qatar Open. It marked her first appearance at that stage since the 2022 Miami Open. Errani, a former top 10 player and a Grand Slam finalist, hasn't had too many memorable runs of late.
However, the Italian veteran reached her first quarterfinal at the WTA level in three years at last month's Transylvania Open. Despite Errani's recent result, this seems like a relatively easy opener for Osaka.
Date: March 7, 2024 (USA, Canada) and March 8, 2024 (UK/Europe, India).
Time: Approx. 3:00 p.m. PT, 6:00 p.m. ET, 11:00 p.m. GMT, and 4:30 a.m. IST.
#3 - Stan Wawrinka vs Tomas Machac
It has been a tough year for Wawrinka with just one win under his belt. He led Adrian Mannarino by two sets to one in the first round of the Australian Open but slumped to a five-set defeat. He switched to clay after that and defeated Pedro Cachin for his first win of the season at the Argentina Open.
Wawrinka lost to Nicolas Jarry in the second round after that and bowed out of the Rio Open in the first round the following week. Machac, on the other hand, has fared a lot better as he reached the third round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the Open 13 Provence.
Machac also bested Wawrinka the only time they faced off before this, which was at the 2023 Stockholm Open. Given their form, this is likely to be another win for the Czech.
Date: March 7, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 8, 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.
#4 - Sloane Stephens vs Mayar Sherif
A third-round showing at the Australian Open remains Stephens' best result this season. It's the only tournament where she won back-to-back matches this year. Sherif had to deal with her own set of problems. She failed to make it past the first hurdle at the Hobart International.
The Egyptian then injured herself during her first-round match against Elise Mertens at the Australian Open and retired early on in the second set. This will be Sherif's first match since then. Stephens should be able to make it through this contest given her opponent might not be at her best yet.
Date: March 7, 2024 (USA, Canada) and March 8, 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.
#5 - Gael Monfils vs Max Purcell
Monfils' best showing this season has been a semifinal finish at the Qatar Open. He coudn't make the most of the momentum as he immediately lost in the first round of his next tournament after that in Dubai.
Purcell is yet to string together consecutive victories this season and is yet to make it past the second round of a tournament. Having lost his last couple of matches, the Australian will be keen to end his losing skid. But it won't be an easy task to get the better of a fierce competitor like Monfils.
Date: March 7, 2024 (USA, Canada, UK/Europe) and March 8, 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.
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.
Australia: All matches will be shown in beIN Sports.
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.
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