8 Dark Horses to Keep an Eye on in Indian Wells

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: March 4, 2014

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A favorite among players and fans alike, the BNP Paribas Open begins in Indian Wells on Wednesday, the first major event of the season for both tours since the Australian Open.

Just over a month ago, Stanislas Wawrinka sent shock-waves through the tennis world after defeating Rafael Nadal in the final in Melbourne, skyrocketing him to No. 3 in the rankings and capitalizing on a recent breakdown in the dominance of the Big Four.

Wawrinka will undoubtedly be one of the most-watched players heading into Indian Wells, but enough has happened since Australia that the Swiss won’t be the only player to watch. He won’t even be the only Swiss player to watch.

A win in Dubai last week made the conversation surrounding Roger Federer’s resurgence that much more interesting, and Federer has had the best season of the Big Four. Rafael Nadal, who looked on fire in Australia, suffered a back injury in the final. And both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have yet to find their best tennis this season.

Over the past decade or so, rarely has there been a moment when the top tier looked penetrable and while Djokovic and Nadal are still the men to beat in Indian Wells, the door has been opened ever so slightly.

On the women’s side, the usual absence of the Williams sisters opens up the field for Victoria Azarenka, back in action for the first time since her quarterfinal showing in Australia, and Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova’s 2013 season (which ended in August with a recurring shoulder injury) was forgettable for the most part, but the Russian is the defending champion and is in need of a big result to kickstart her 2014 season.

Also back in action in Indian Wells will be Australian Open champion Li Na, who posted a dismal showing in Doha in February.

But while most of the big names have been taking it easy for the last month, the players that don’t make u...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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