The first two quarterfinals are set at the BNP Paribas Open, and both matches promise high-quality tennis. #2 seed Jannik Sinner will take on the home hope Learner Tien, while #4 seed Alexander Zverev will look to overcome Arthur Fils and make his first Indian Wells semifinals. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for both matches, but who will advance to the last four?

ATP Indian Wells Quarterfinal Predictions
Alexander Zverev vs Arthur Fils

Head-to-Head: Zverev 4-2 Fils

Alexander Zverev is in his third Indian Wells quarterfinal and must be happy with how he has played so far. He had a mini hiccup against Brandon Nakashima in the third round, but he made no such mistake against Frances Tiafoe and completely outplayed the American, who tried his best in the second set.

Arthur Fils played a fantastic match against Felix Auger-Aliassime to book his spot in the last eight for the first time here. The Frenchman dominated the first set and then came in clutch in the second set, saving five set points. The high-bouncing conditions here favour Fils, who puts a lot of spin on his forehand and has a solid kick serve.

Fils has always troubled Zverev, and I won’t be surprised if he wins this match. He has the upper hand in forehand rallies and will pounce on anything short from Zverev. The German has been playing aggressive tennis and will need to bring it to full effect. His serve alone won’t be enough to win this match. I think Fils has a slight advantage on these courts.

Prediction: Fils in 3

Jannik Sinner vs Learner Tien

Head-to-Head: Sinner 1-0 Tien

Not many players can go toe-to-toe with Jannik Sinner from the back of the court, and Joao Fonseca did that for the entirety of the match. However, Sinner still won due to his elite clutchness and mentality. The Italian will be happy with the way he remained focused and dealt with a stern challenge. He will be looking to make the semifinals for the third time in three appearances.

Learner Tien is another player who has shown great mental strength in a short amount of time. He saved two match points to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the fourth round and advance to the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time. In their only previous meeting, Sinner won comfortably, but Tien has improved his serve since then and should put up a better fight. However, Tien doesn’t have the power to hit through Sinner’s defense consistently.

Prediction: Sinner in 2

Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports