RICKY’S PICKS FOR INDIAN WELLS TENNIS 2016 / BNP PARIBAS OPEN SEMIFINALS: DJOKOVIC VS. NADAL, RAONIC VS. GOFFIN FOR 10SBALLS_COM BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 18th March 2016

RICKY'S PICKS FOR INDIAN WELLS TENNIS 2016 / BNP PARIBAS OPEN SEMIFINALS: DJOKOVIC VS. NADAL, RAONIC VS. GOFFIN FOR 10SBALLS_COM BY RICKY DIMON

epa05219319 Novak Djokovic from Serbia in action against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga from France during their quarterfinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 18 March 2016. Djokovic won 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2). EPA/DANIEL MURPHY |

One of the two semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open is the matchup many had hoped for and at least a few anticipated when the draw was revealed last week. Saturday’s other showdown is one that almost nobody could have predicted. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will cap off the afternoon’s singles proceedings, which will begin with Milos Raonic vs. David Goffin.

Ricky previews the action and makes his picks:

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Rafael Nadal

Djokovic and Nadal will be facing each other for the 48th time in their careers. The 2015 World Tour Finals gave Djokovic a chance to even the head-to-head series and that is exactly what he did with a 6-3, 6-3 semifinal rout of the Spaniard. Now it is Nadal’s turn to try for a level 24-24 record, as Djokovic took a slight advantage by rolling 6-1, 6-2 in the Doha title match two months ago. These two rivals have collided three times in Indian Wells, with Djokovic leading 2-1 after most recently winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the 2011 title match.

The world No. 1 has been less than dominant since triumphing at the Australian Open. He retired from a Dubai quarterfinal clash against Feliciano Lopez due to an eye infection and Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin pushed the Serb to five sets in the Davis Cup first round. Djokovic’s run in the desert includes a three-setter against Bjorn Fratangelo and straight-set defeats of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Feliciano Lopez, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Frenchman forced a pair of tiebreakers on Friday but had no chance in the critical moments and lost 7-6(2), 7-6(2).

“I take positives out of today’s match, the fact that I have played somebody that was feeling good throughout the week, somebody that serves very, very big and plays very quick and efficient, (with) precise forehands,” Djokovic assessed. “To win in straight sets and to win in two tiebreaks, I think it’s gonna help definitely my confidence and mentally I will take that.”

Nadal has advanced by taking out Gilles Muller, Fernando Verdasco, Alexander Zverev, and Kei Nishikori. Playing with a second life after surviving a match point against Zverev, the fourth seed turned in his best performance of the event for a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nishikori. Conditions in the desert will suit Nadal better than those of their last two showdowns in London and Doha. But the bottom line is that Djokovic has Nadal’s number–five wins in a row, to be exact–under any circumstances at the moment.

Pick: Djokovic in 2

(15) David Goffin vs. (12) Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic of Canada in action against Bernard Tomic of Australia during their third round match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 14 March 2016. EPA/PAUL BUCK

Raonic had been sidelined since the Australian Open semifinals, during which he fell to Andy Murray in five sets. But his adductor injury appears to be a thing of the past and the Canadian is firing again in Indian Wells. He punched his ticket to the semis by defeating Inigo Cervantes, Bernard Tomic, Tomas Berdych, and Gael Monfils all in straight sets. Raonic is now 13-1 on the year and he is bidding for his second title, having previously prevailed in Brisbane.

Up next for the world No. 14 is a second career encounter with Goffin, who won a 2014 Basel meeting 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4. The Belgian has sustained momentum from a pair of Davis Cup singles wins over Croatia, but it has not been easy. He saved two match points in his Indian Wells opener against Frances Tiafoe and also needed three sets to beat Guido Pella and Stan Wawrinka before finally winning a straight-setter against Marin Cilic, whom he also beat in Davis Cup.

“I think it’s good conditions for him here with small balls and (the) balls are really fast, so it’s tough to return,” Goffin said. “But I have weapons to return, like I did against Marin.”

This looks like too difficult of a test for Goffin, as the pressure will be on to hold serve just about every time he toes the line because Raonic appears to be borderline unbreakable at the moment.

Pick: Raonic in 2