Denis Shapovalov beat qualifier Rikardas Berankis 6-3 6-4 in 1 hour and 12 minutes in their first head-to-head match of their career to clinch his 8th win of the season. The Canadian teenager, who is the youngest player in the top 100, dropped just 14 points in 10 service games, but he won only 47 % of the first serve points and had seven double faults. He won 88 % of his first serve points and won eight of his nine points at the net. Berankis converted his only break point he created in the second set. Shapovalov won 40 % of the return points and converted three of his six break points.
Shapovalov rallied from 3-4 down in the second set by reeling off 12 of the next 13 points to close out the match. He converted on his third break point in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead in the first set. He held his next service games and wrapped up the set with a crosscourt backhand winner in the ninth game after 34 minutes. Shapovalov got his second break of the match in the third game of the second set, after Berankis hit a backhand wide. The Canadian wasted a 40-15 lead to drop his serve for the first time in the match with a double fault. Both players held serve in the next four games before Shapovalov earned the break at love in the ninth game after Berankis made another backhand error. He closed out the match with a service winner to secure his spot in the second round, where he will face Pablo Cuevas, who received a first-roudn bye.
Danil Medvedev beat Steve Johnson 7-6 (7-0) 6-4 after 1 hour and 25 minutes to clinch his first Masters 1000 win. The young Russian player beat Johnson for the third time after winning his first two head-to-head matches against the US player in 2017. Johnson broke once, but Medvedev converted two of his five break points. The US player survived four deuces to avoid break points in the third game. The first set went on serve until the tie-break when Medvedev got three mini-breaks. He hit an ace to close out the tie-break 7-0 after 47 minutes. Medvedev got the first break of the second set in the fourth game. Johnson won 12 consecutive points in the second set and broke serve in the seventh game with a forehand return winner to draw level to 4-4. Medvedev sealed the second set in the 10th game, when Johnson sent a backhand long as he was serving to stay in the match.
Last week’s Acapulco semifinalist Jared Donaldson beat Evan King 6-1 4-6 6-4 in 2 hours and 7 minutes to clinch his 14th Masters 1000 win and the first at Indian Wells. King broke only once to win the second set 6-4 but Donaldson converted three of his five break points. The young US player got a double break in the second and sixth games to cruise to a 6-1 win in the opening set. King fended off a break point at 4-4 in the second set before breaking Donaldson at love in the 10th game to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the third set. Donaldson got an early break at the start of the third set and held his service games after saving a break point in the 10th game to secure his spot in the Round of 64.
Greek Next Gen player Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Radu Albot 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 setting up an interesting match against Dominic Thiem in the second round. Tsitsipas got an immediate break in the first game. Albot broke back on his third opportunity to draw level to 2-2. Tsitsipas has to save four break points (three in the eighth game and the 12th game). Both players held their service games setting up a tie-break where Tsitsipas cruised to a 7-2 win. After a trade of breaks in the first two games Tsitsipas got two consecutive breaks in the sixth and eighth games to seal the second set 6-2.
Fernando Verdasco beat Guido Pella 6-2 1-6 6-2 to set up a Round of 64 match against Grigor Dimitrov.
Federico Delbonis beat Ryan Harrison 2-6 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 24 minutes setting up a second round match against World Number 1 and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. The Argentine saved two match points, while he was serving at 4-5 in the third set.
