Indian Wells 2025 Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Matteo Berrettini vs Christopher O'Connell, Lorenzo Musetti vs Roman Safiullin
Day 2 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells saw some interesting results in the men's singles event, with Gael Monfils, Mackenzie McDonald, and Jenson Brooksby booking their spots in the second round. Day 3 will see the second round of the men's singles tournament commence, with 16 matches scheduled to be played (excluding matches suspended from the previous day).
Top seed Alexander Zverev will be in action as he takes on Tallon Griekspoor, while fifth seed Daniil Medvedev will be up against Bu Yunchaokete. Fourth seed Casper Ruud will be up against Marcos Giron, while tenth seed Tommy Paul will take on compatriot Tristan Boyer.
The likes of 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini will be in action as well. On that note, let us take a look at the predictions of some of the men's singles matches that will take place on Day 3 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
#1. Matteo Berrettini vs Christopher O'Connell
28th seed Matteo Berrettini will take on Christopher O'Connell in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. The Italian has won both of the prior encounters between the two, and whoever wins will face either eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Berrettini reached the second round in Indian Wells via a walkover, while O'Connell grinded out a 6-3, 0-6, 6-1 win over Roberto Carballes Baena. Both players have pretty much identical records so far in 2025, with the Italian winning five out of ten matches while the Aussie triumphed in four out of nine main-draw fixtures.
Berrettini has shown some signs of resurgence over the past few months, and if he is at his best, there is little chance of him not registering a comprehensive win.
Predicted Winner: Matteo Berrettini.
#2. Lorenzo Musetti vs Roman Safiullin
15th seed Lorenzo Musetti will take on Roman Safiullin in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 1-1, and whoever wins will take on either 20th seed Arthur Fils or Gabriel Diallo.
Musetti received a walkover to the second round in Indian Wells due to his seeding, while Safiullin booked his spot after registering a 7-5, 6-4 win over Reilly Opelka. The Italian has won four out of six main-draw matches so far in 2025, while the Russian has come out on top in just one out of six.
While both players have an aggressive game, Musetti's form over the past year or so has been considerably superior, and he should not have much trouble triumphing over Safiullin and reaching the third round in Indian Wells.
Predicted Winner: Lorenzo Musetti
#3. Cameron Norrie vs Jiri Lehecka
Former Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie will be up against 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round of the Masters 1000 event. The two will face off for the fourth time, with the Brit leading their head-to-head 2-1. Whoever prevails will lock horns with either tenth seed Tommy Paul or Tristan Boyer in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
While Lehecka booked his place in the second round via a walkover due to his seeding, Norrie thrashed Luca Nardi 6-0, 6-3 in the opening round. The Czech has had a pretty good start to 2025, with 13 wins out of 17 matches so far, while the Brit has won just six out of 12.
While Norrie can be a very formidable opponent on his day, Lehecka should be able to get the better of him, given how he has done over the past couple of months.
Predicted Winner: Jiri Lehecka
#4. Arthur Fils vs Gabriel Diallo
20th seed Arthur Fils will take on Canadian wildcard Gabriel Diallo in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. Diallo won the previous encounter between the two, and whoever wins this time will take on either 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti or Roman Safiullin in the third round in Indian Wells.
Fils' seeding saw him get a walkover to the second round of the Masters 1000 event while Diallo came back from a set down to pip Zhang Zhizhen to a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(7) win. The Frenchman has won five out of nine matches so far in 2025, while the Canadian has triumphed in four out of nine main-draw fixtures.
While Diallo beat Fils at the US Open nearly seven months back, the latter is capable of producing some scintillating tennis at his best, and he should be able to put his previous shortcomings and bag the win to reach the third round in Indian Wells.
Predicted Winner: Arthur Fils.
#5. Alexei Popyrin vs Zizou Bergs
26th seed Alexei Popyrin will take on Zizou Bergs in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. It will be their first encounter, with the winner facing either fourth seed Casper Ruud or Marcos Giron in the third round in Indian Wells.
Popyrin booked his place in the second round of the Masters 1000 event via a walkover while Bergs saw off Ethan Quinn with a 7-6(2), 6-3 win. Both players have had contrasting starts to the 2025 season, with the Aussie winning just one out of six matches, while the Belgian triumphed in 13 out of 19 so far.
While Popyrin is the higher-ranked player of the two, Bergs' current run of form cannot be ignored, and he should be able to get the win and reach the third round in indian Wells.
Predicted Winner: Zizou Bergs