Indian Wells 2022: John Isner vs Diego Schwartzman preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open
Match details
Fixture: (23) John Isner vs (14) Diego Schwartzman
Date: 15 March 2022
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: Third round (Round of 32).
Venue: Indian Wells, California USA.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,584,055.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
John Isner vs Diego Schwartzman preview
23rd seed and home hope John Isner will lock horns with 14th seed Diego Schwartzman in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday.
After a slow start to the year, the 6'10'' American has been gradually getting back to form. Isner made the semifinals at Dallas and the round-of-16 at Acapulco before arriving in California.
def Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (5) 6-4
American men on the upswing
Round of 64 at Indian Wells
Steve Johnson 🇺🇸def Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (5) 6-4
John Isner 🇺🇸 def Sam Querrey 🇺🇸7-6 (6) 7-6 (2)
Taylor Fritz 🇺🇸 def Kamil Majchrzak 6-1 6-1
#getty https://t.co/KftSP8dn54
Isner started his Indian Wells campaign with a tight 7-6(6), 7-6(2) win over old foe Sam Querrey on Sunday. The World No. 23 will be eager to continue the momentum at the tournament, where he reached the final in 2012, losing to Roger Federer.
With a mixed bag of results on the Australian swing, Diego Schwartzman embarked on yet another successful run in South America last month. The 5'7" Argentine reached the semifinals at his home tournament in Cordoba. He then went one better in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, finishing as the runner-up in both.
The World No. 14 was made to work hard by rising star Emil Ruusuvuori in his first match at Indian Wells on Sunday. But the two-time US Open quarterfinalist's experience helped him in the end to notch a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 win.
Diego Schwartzman, quarterfinalist in Indian Wells six months ago, comes back from a break down in the 3rd set to beat Emil Ruusuvuori 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the 3rd round in Indian Wells.
Gets John Isner next, in a section that looks open for everybody... https://t.co/C4drF9sAoG
John Isner vs Diego Schwartzman head-to-head
Isner leads Schwartzman 1-0 in the head-to-head. The American came through 7-6(2), 6-7(11), 6-3 in their only meeting at the 2017 Paris Masters.
John Isner vs Diego Schwartzman prediction
Not only do Isner and Schwartzman have contrasting heights, but the two play distinctly different games as well.
Isner is known for his booming serve and powerful groundstrokes. He gave a fine demonstration of his serving prowess against Querrey, producing 21 aces.
However, the giant American's on-court movement is a liability. Schwartzman, on the other hand, is known for his breathtaking speed around the court and his power-packed game. His serve, however, could become patchy, as was the case against Ruusuvuori, where he coughed up seven double faults.
A gritty fighter through and through, Schwartzman didn't let his serving woes come in the way of his win. He broke the Finn's serve six times to book his place in the third round.
Against the big-serving Isner, Schwartzman won't enjoy the same luxury. But he can surely test the American's lethargic movement and eke out errors from his racquet.
That said, Schwartzman needs to serve way better to successfully attack Isner. He has been in better form coming into this tournament as compared to Isner and that could play a role in the high-pressure moments during this match.
Prediction: Diego Schwartzman to win in three sets.