ATP Indian Wells - Saturday Schedule: Thiem or Raonic to face Federer
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were supposed to each other for the 39th time in career on the Stadium 1 on Saturday in Indian Wells, but the Spaniard withdrew due to a knee injury. Nadal was leading the head to head meetings 23-15, but Federer had won the last five matches played: 2015 Basel final, 2017 Australian Open, Miami and Shanghai finals, 2017 Indian Wells fourth round. At the BNP Paribas Open, they also faced each other in 2013, with Nadal defeating Federer in straight sets - the Swiss was dealing with a back injury - and in 2012 with the Basel native prevailing on a very windy day. Their rivalry started in 2004 Miami when Nadal was just 17 years old. Federer seeks his sixth title there, while Nadal triumphed thrice in the past years.
Dominic Thiem and Milos Raoni are instead playing just now for a spot in the final. The Canadian prevailed both at 2016 Cincinnati and ATP Finals, that was the best season ever for Raonic who is now trying to get to his best level again. Milos already played a final here, in 2016, losing to Novak Djokovic. On how his new coach Fabrice Santoro helps him, Raonic said: "We practice together every day. You can see how effortlessly he can do a lot of things, a lot of things that sort of surprise you. You know, he can't blow you off the court, but he can make you feel pretty bad out there with the different rotations of spin. I think the most important thing where we really struck a note was that we are both very meticulous about how we go about things. We spent a lot of time throughout this week, together and apart, watching matches over and every again, my matches, other matches, the guys I'm playing. Something I have always been very keen on, and he approaches it the same way. I think that kind of attention to detail can only be a good thing."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Tb50S1
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