It will be a Canadian affair as Felix Auger-Aliassime takes on fellow countryman Gabriel Diallo on Sunday at the Indian Wells Masters. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will also be playing in the third round with Jakub Mensik.
(9) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Gabriel Diallo
Gabriel Diallo has some power. You are a late bloomer; he is one year younger than fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime but is just starting to come into his own. The world number 38 is enduring a rough start to the 2026 season. His performance in round three this week is his best result of the season. Diallo entered Indian Wells with a 2-6 record in 2026.
Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, was on fire. He has reached two finals and a semi-final since exiting the Australian Open in the first round. No matter how strong his opponents may be, the world number 9 should pocket this win in style.
Cheryl chose: Auger-Aliassime at 2
Ricky pick: Auger-Aliassime at 2
(12) Jakub Mensik vs. (18) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
This is one of those amazing head-to-head stats that feels like it shouldn’t be true but; Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Jakub Mensik 4-1. It’s not really surprising that Davidovich Fokina has won four times, but more than that he is ranked. Mensik is a very good player who can play encouragingly at times. However, he has lost to the Spaniard four times in a row.
Honestly, it doesn’t seem like the record is likely to change in Mensik’s favor this week. ADF was in hiding in the first half of their second round match against Zachary Svajda, but the Spaniard righted the ship in a hurry. Look for this one to go the distance. Both men are good hard court players and this should prove to be exciting.
Cheryl chose: Davidovich Fokina in 3rd place
Ricky choose: Davidovich Fokina in 3
