Indian Wells 2024: Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Date: March 9, 2024
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena preview
After a first-round bye, Daniil Medvedev will square off against Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.
Medvedev opted to directly compete at the Australian Open without playing a warm-up tournament beforehand. He moved into the second round after Terence Atmane retired in the fourth set of their opening-round match.
Medvedev then needed five sets to get past Emil Ruusuvuori but dismissed Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets after that. He downed Nuno Borges in four sets and battled past Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Zverev in five sets each to reach the final.
Medvedev was up against Jannik Sinner for the title. He led the Italian by two sets to love but ended up losing the match in five sets. Due to his strenuous campaign in Melbourne, he opted not to defend his titles in Rotterdam and Doha. He did return to defend his title in Dubai but lost to Ugo Humbert in the semifinals.
Carballes Baena faced Flavio Cobolli in the opening round here. He squandered his early lead in the first set but raised his level towards the end as he snagged the last three games of the set to take it.
Carballes Baena jumped to a 5-2 lead in the second set and was on the cusp of victory but couldn't serve out the match. Cobolli put up a fight as he went on a two-game run to make it 5-4. However, the Spaniard served out the match on his second try to score a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena head-to-head
Medvedev leads Carballes Baena 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Miami Open in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Daniil Medvedev vs Roberto Carballes Baena prediction
Medvedev arrived at Indian Wells last year on a 14-match winning streak following triumphs at three tournaments. He rode that momentum all the way to the final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. It's a completely different scenario for the Russian this year.
While Medvedev's results have been good, he's yet to win a title. His heartbreaking loss to Sinner at the Australian Open was similar to his defeat to Rafael Nadal there two years ago. It took him some time to regroup after that. Nevertheless, he'll still be favored to win his opener here.
Carballes Baena snapped his four-match losing streak with his win over Cobolli and improved his record for the season to 4-7 with it. He has lost both of his prior matches against Medvedev without winning a set against him. It'll be an uphill battle for him to get the better of the Russian given his form.
Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.