Indian Wells Finals Tennis Prediction and Pick 3/17/24
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will face fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. The match will be played on Sunday, March 17, 2024. Here's our Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev prediction.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz snapped Jannik Sinner's 16-match winning streak with a stunning comeback to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that was largely affected by inclement weather. This is the Spaniard's first final since losing to Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati last August, which feels like an awfully long time ago. Alcaraz has quelled outside noise about his confidence and form, which had clearly taken a hit when coming to Indian Wells. But with two Top 10 wins during the fortnight, it's fair to say he's back.
Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev, for his part, produced his own comeback to beat American Tommy Paul in front of a partisan crowd. He won 1-6, 7-6, 6-2. It was the Russian's 14th win of the season which took him to his second final. But like Alcaraz, Medvedev has no titles to show for his efforts this season. His last title win was on the clay courts of Rome last May.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev Head-To-Head
Carlos Alcaraz leads Daniil Medvedev 3-2 in the head-to-head, avenging his 2023 US Open semifinal defeat by beating the World No. 4 at the ATP Finals.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev Prediction
Both players overcame the odds to get to the final, but only one of them will get his hands on the pristine glass and end his title drought. They desperately need to lift the title, so one of them will leave California disappointed. Alcaraz loves these conditions. And the courts are playing very fast this year, which enables him to accelerate even more. He's not been afraid to showcase his drop shot just to change the rhythm a little bit and catch his opponents off guard. Medvedev had the tougher route to the final, but Alcaraz played the harder semifinal against a player who was undefeated in 2024. So with all these factors considered, it is hard to look past Alcaraz here. He's got his mojo back and the outright pick to win Indian wells for a second time.
