Rublev eliminated at Indian Wells, the carnage continues in the top 10
The start of this Indian Wells Masters 1000 in the men's draw has brought some major surprises. Yesterday, world number 2 Alexander Zverev was eliminated in his opening match by Tallon Griekspoor (4-6, 7-6, 7-6).
Seeded number 1 in California in the absence of Jannik Sinner, the German fell hard at Indian Wells and left the tournament prematurely.
The same goes for Casper Ruud. The Norwegian, ranked 5th in the world and currently seeking a Masters 1000 final since Monte-Carlo last year, fell in the second round to Marcos Giron (7-6, 3-6, 6-2) and will go no further. A quarterfinalist in this same tournament last year, Ruud will have to regroup for Miami, where he reached the final three years ago.
Overnight, Novak Djokovic was also knocked out by Botic van de Zandschulp and suffered his third consecutive defeat. The Serbian, now ranked 7th in the world, has not reached the round of 16 in the prestigious California tournament in eight years.
That's not all, as Andrey Rublev also failed to find a solution in his opening match. Ranked 9th in the ATP, the Russian, who won the Doha tournament at the end of February, fell to a still formidable Matteo Arnaldi (6-4, 7-5).
In total, four members of the top 10 out of the nine present at Indian Wells (Sinner being absent) have already bitten the dust.
Nevertheless, some big names remain in the competition. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz seems more than ever the favorite to add a third consecutive title in California, while Daniil Medvedev, the two-time defending finalist, is also in the mix.
Crowned in Dubai, Stefanos Tsitsipas might have a shot. A winner in 2022, Taylor Fritz is not making much noise but is establishing himself as a credible contender, as is Alex De Minaur, who is becoming increasingly dangerous in major tournaments.
Indian Wells 
