Indian Wells Draw Delivers a Surprise

The 2017 Indian Wells draw is all about the bottom quarter which has been stacked with Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Kyrgios, Zverev, and Del Potro. I think it will make things more interesting in the early rounds but I have to wonder how Djokovic can get this difficult a draw after what happened in Acapulco.

After getting Del Potro in his second match in Acapulco he gets him again in his second match in Indian Wells. The odds of that happening must have been very slim but then he also gets Kyrgios in his next match like in Acapulco.

It seems suspicious, especially with the following in mind:

So we can see of the big four, Djokovic gets the hardest draws which is the case again in Indian Wells. We can also see that Federer gets the easiest draws(Federer fans are really gonna hate both these stats).

There is also this from the French Open:

All of a sudden it becomes more than suspicious, knowing that Federer is the cash cow of the ATP while Djokovic is not nearly as popular in the west. Are draws really being rigged to favor Federer and obstruct Djokovic?

The stats say yes. You can’t trust the capitalist model. The few at the top who has power are always corrupt and rigging the playing field. It works that way in politics, business, the economy, and practically all aspects of the capitalist society.

Why wouldn’t it work that way in sport? I think this draw is a bit of a joke after what happened in Acapulco. It’s almost impossible for Djokovic to win the tournament although it’s hard to put anything beyond him.

But this is not 2015 or 2016 and he is struggling for confidence and needs matches. Del Potro is by far the toughest seed Djokovic could have gotten in the third round. If he beats him again he likely plays the winner of Kyrgios and Zverev, the two most dangerous youngsters on tour.

Should he survive that long he will play Federer or Nadal. I think if he somehow makes it that far he could potentially win the tournament because a match with Federer or Nadal may just be what he needs for confidence.

An evening hit for @David__Goffin and @DjokerNole inside Stadium 1. Crystal clear night in #IndianWells #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/SOxiEKU0e8

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 8, 2017

But getting that far will not be easy.

The bottom quarter of the draw is so packed with quality players that it is stronger than any ATP 500 event. Federer and Nadal don’t have draws as difficult as Djokovic but they have to face each other in the fourth round which means that’s where the tournament ends for one of them.

Hopefully, they do face each other because that would be a blockbuster encounter after the Australian Open final. Federer has never beaten Nadal three consecutive times so he will have to make history to make the quarterfinals.

And hopefully, Djokovic waits for the winner. It has been too long since the last time Djokovic met one of these two(Nadal in Rome 2016) for my liking. I am disappointed with the draw in the end but I am looking forward to the tournament nonetheless.

At least for Djokovic, if he can’t make good with this ridiculous draw there is still Miami where he’s won six titles and which is just the following week.

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