RICKY’S PICKS FOR THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS 2016 BNP PARIBAS QUARTERFINALS: RAFA NADAL VS. KEI NISHIKORI, NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. JO-WILLIE TSONGA BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 17th March 2016

RICKY'S PICKS FOR THE INDIAN WELLS TENNIS 2016 BNP PARIBAS QUARTERFINALS: RAFA NADAL VS. KEI NISHIKORI, NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. JO-WILLIE TSONGA BY RICKY DIMON

epa05215271 Kei Nishikori of Japan in action against John Isner of USA during their fourth round match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 16 March 2016. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

All of the top four seeds in the top half of the BNP Paribas Open draw have advanced to the quarterfinals. Somewhat surprisingly, it was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who reached the last eight in the most routine fashion, refusing to donate even a single set along the way. Novak Djokovic has surrendered one set, while both Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori were one point away from respective defeats in the fourth round.

(4) Rafael Nadal vs. (5) Kei Nishikori

Nadal and Nishikori will be facing each other for the ninth time in their careers on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at 7-1 in favor of Nadal, but the last two encounters have not gone particularly well for him after he once stood at a perfect 6-0 against Nishikori. At the 2014 Madrid Masters, Japan’s top player led by a set and a break before retiring with a back issue in the third. Nishikori finally beat Nadal (6-2, 6-4) for the first time at last summer’s Montreal Masters.

Both players fought off a match point in the fourth round to secure their spots in the quarterfinals. After battling past Gilles Muller in three sets and Fernando Verdasco in straights, Nadal survived Alexander Zverev 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5 on Thursday. Nishikori took care of Mikhail Kukushkin and Steve Johnson in two sets before outlasting John Isner 1-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(5) despite failing to generate a single break-point opportunity.

“He’s a player that puts a lot of pressure on the opponent,” Nadal said of Nishikori. “I need to play better than what I did (against Zverev), but it’s obvious that I (am) in quarterfinals and that’s great news for me in a very tough tournament like this one.”

Tough is exactly what Nishikori has been on the Spaniard in their last two matches, so there is no real reason to take Nadal’s 7-1 lifetime record against Nishikori into serious account for this one. The No. 5 seed will likely be allowed to play offensive tennis just about from start to finish in this one and that should give him an advantage.

Pick: Nishikori in 3

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Djokovic has shown recent signs of vulnerability, but he appears to be back in total control. The No. 1 seed retired from a Dubai quarterfinal against Feliciano Lopez because of an eye infection, needed five sets to get past Mikhail Kukushkin in a Davis Cup tie between Serbia and Kazakhstan, and lost a set in Indian Wells to Bjorn Fratangelo. Since then, however, Djokovic has picked up the pace. He took the last two sets against Fratangelo 6-1 and 6-2, defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 7-5, and eased past Lopez 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Next up for the top-ranked player in the world on Friday is a 21st career meeting with Tsonga. Djokovic is leading the head-to-head series 14-6, including 12-1 in the last 13 encounters. They most recently squared off last fall in the Shanghai title match, with Djokovic coasting 6-2, 6-4.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from France in action against Dominic Thiem from Austria during their fourth round match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 16 March 2016. EPA/MIKE NELSON

Tsonga is through to the Indian Wells quarters for just the second time in his career thanks to straight-set dismissals of Vincent Millot, Sam Querrey, and Dominic Thiem. The ninth-ranked Frenchman has never advanced to the semis of this event. Tsonga has been known to go on incredible hot streaks, but this one can likely be chalked up to lackluster competition and a worn-out Thiem. Going up against Djokovic will obviously be a much different proposition–and one that is likely to end poorly for Tsonga yet again.

Pick: Djokovic in 2