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Indian Wells 2021: Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Hubert Hurkacz is the eighth seed at Indian Wells.
Hubert Hurkacz is the eighth seed at Indian Wells.

Match details

Fixture: (8) Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe

Date: 11 October 2021

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Indian Wells, USA

Category: ATP 1000

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $9,146,125

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe preview

Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe will lock horns in the third round of the 2021 BNP Paribas Open on Monday.

Hurkacz, the eighth seed, opened his campaign with a hard-fought win over Alexei Popyrin in the second round. The Pole was made to work hard by the Australian, especially towards the back end of the match, but managed to prevail 6-1, 7-5.

Hurkacz is now set to face an even bigger test in the shape of an in-form Tiafoe.

Tiafoe has scored two dominant wins this week.
Tiafoe has scored two dominant wins this week.

Tiafoe entered Indian Wells on the back of a strong run at his home Slam in New York, where he upset Andrey Rublev en route to the fourth round.

The American has continued his rich vein of form this week. He looked in fine touch in dominant wins over quality opponents including Sebastian Korda and Benoit Paire. Tiafoe possesses a powerful game that could well trouble Hurkacz on Monday.

Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head

Frances Tiafoe leads Hubert Hurkacz in their current head-to-head by a slender 2-1 margin. The American won the duo's first two meetings, before the Pole pulled one back at the 2019 Winston Salem Open.

Hubert Hurkacz vs Frances Tiafoe prediction

First-serve numbers will be key in the contest.
First-serve numbers will be key in the contest.

Both Hubert Hurkacz and Frances Tiafoe possess big weapons in the form of their first serves.

Neither has managed to serve a high number of aces considering the slower court conditions in Indian Wells, but first-serve percentages will play a key role in this third-round contest.

Hurkacz landed an incredible 87% of his first serves against Popyrin, preventing his opponent from making any inroads. Against an aggressive opponent like Tiafoe, he will need to replicate those numbers.

One area the Pole needs to work on is his breakpoint conversion rate; he won just four out of 14 breakpoints against Popyrin.

Both players are big hitters of the ball, which means there aren't going to be too many long rallies in this match. The contest could well be decided by the two players' ability to lift their game in key moments of the contest. Considering the results he has posted this year, Hurkacz might have a slight edge in that department.

Prediction: Hubert Hurkacz to win in three sets

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