Sam Querrey plays Tommy Robredo for a place in the Indian Wells quarter-finals.
Querrey has found his form this week after enduring a fairly miserable start to 2011. The American crashed out of the Aussie Open and San Jose in the first round and even lost to a qualifier ranked well outside the top 100 in Delray Beach. However his game has clicked from nowhere in Indian Wells and he upset world number nine Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-4 on Monday.
This run is very timely for the tall Californian who won four titles during the first six months of the 2010 season and has much to defend over the coming months.
With Robin Soderling and Andy Murray out of this section of the draw, this is a fantastic opportunity for both these players to go deep in a Masters Series event. Querrey has attracted much criticism in the past for failing to perform at the big events so it's a golden chance for him to prove those doubters wrong.
Robredo had a lean 2010 season but he's performed strongly so far this year, reaching the fourth round in Australia and picking up a title on the clay of Santiago. He thrashed Murray's conqueror Donald Young 6-0, 6-4 in the third round.
The Indian Wells crowd will be firmly behind Querrey but Robredo is a far more consistent, durable opponent than Verdasco and our prediction is for the experienced Spaniard to make the quarters.
