"We've got Reilly Opelka, Brooksby, Fritz, Paul, Tiafoe, Johnson & Isner, we would be a great law firm" - Pam Shriver on American resurgence at Indian Wells
Pam Shriver believes American tennis is in good hands with the emergence of players like Reilly Opelka, Taylor Fritz, and Jenson Brooksby.
As many as seven American men made the third round at Indian Wells. Although Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul were knocked out at that stage, Opelka, Fritz, Brooksby and John Isner advanced to the fourth round.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel, Pam Shriver said she was delighted with the performances of the Americans in Indian Wells.
"I just love it, we've got Brooksby, Opelka, Fritz, Paul, Tiafoe, Johnson, Isner, we would be a great law firm. But's it's a great matchup of American men in the Masters 1000," said the 59-year-old.
The American men are coming of age. There are a lot of them, and they have very different styles from Jenson Brooksby to Reilly Opelka to Taylor Fritz to Tommy Paul, who just knocked out No. 3 Alexander Zverev tonight with bold, compact, grip-it-and-rip-it #tennis
Exciting https://t.co/3VJ70EcMf5
Opelka is the highest-ranked American in the ATP rankings at the moment. The 24-year-old is in red-hot form, having won the title in Dallas and made the final at Delray Beach.He has carried that momentum to Indian Wells, where he knocked off 13th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
Shriver believes Opelka has improved in leaps and bounds in recent months and no longer relies solely on his serve.
"Well, you think about the last month, he's played so many matches, he won the indoor tournament in Dallas, he got to the finals of the Delray [Open], and you're right, he's got an all-court game. When Caroline and I were watching his match against Shapovalov yesterday, he also won a lot of the longer rallies. So if that forehand holds up, the footwork's almost good for a seven-foot guy," mentioned Shriver.
Shriver then shifted her focus to Madison Keys, the only American to reach the quarterfinals of the women's tournament in Indian Wells.
Shriver feels Keys is playing with renewed hunger and dedication following her injury struggles last season.
vs 
goes the way of @Madison_Keys!🔑 vs 🎯 goes the way of @Madison_Keys!
The last American in the singles field halts Dart 6-1, 6-4 to book her 🎟 ticket to the quarterfinals.
#IndianWells https://t.co/i6OKhEc5df
"Madison Keys, I think she has played twice as many matches this year already than she won last year. So she's got the match toughness... I like Madison Keys, I feel like she came to grips with the fact that she doesn’t want to have any regrets when the career is over. I think she has really put her dedication to a new level," concluded the 59-year-old.
Reilly Opelka will face Rafael Nadal in 4th round at Indian Wells
Opelka will square off against Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday. The Spaniard won their only previous meeting, at the Italian Open last year.
Nadal is in fantastic form this season and has already won three titles. The Spaniard is on a 17-match winning streak and is the heavy favorite to tame Opelka and advance to the quarterfinals.