Indian Wells 2024: Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Date: March 8, 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
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis preview
After a first-round bye, third seed Jannik Sinner will square off against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open on Friday.
Sinner concluded the previous season on a high and continued his stellar run of form this year as well. He captured his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open after being down two sets to love in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
Sinner also defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals to score his third win over the Serb in the last three months. He continued his winning ways at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam after that as he bested Alex de Minaur in the final to capture his second title of the season.
Kokkinakis was up against Marcos Giron in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. He faced three break points in the very first game of the match but saved all of them for a hold of serve. The Australian nabbed the decisive break of serve in the sixth game to lead 4-2.
Kokkinakis kept his nose in front after that and soon claimed the first set. The second set was a close affair and looked like it was headed for a tie-break. However, the Australian broke Giron's serve in the 11th game to go 6-5 up and served out the match in the following game for a 6-3, 7-5 win.
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis head-to-head
Sinner leads Kokkinakis 3-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2023 Italian Open in straight sets.
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis prediction
Kokkinakis moved past Giron in the previous round courtesy of some brilliant serving backed up by a solid baseline game. He won 86% of points on the back of his first serve and hit a total of 20 winners throughout the match.
However, his journey is likely to come to an end now. Sinner has established himself as the man to beat over the last few months. He remains undefeated this year as he has won all 12 of his matches. The Italian is currently on a 15-match winning streak which started in the knockout stages of Davis Cup 2023.
Sinner's perfect winning record against Kokkinakis further backs up his status as the overwhelming favorite to win this match. The Italian is on a roll at the moment and it seems quite far-fetched for him to lose this early given his form over the last few months.
Pick: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.