Andy Roddick, having previewed Indian Wells on his podcast earlier this week, has now sought to outline a major flaw with the tournament.
A tantalising event in which plenty of huge clashes are set to be thrown up, there is one defect which could throw its credibility into disrepute.
But what could be so dramatic that it would derail an entire competition? We take a closer look…
What Andy Roddick said about Indian Wells
Taking to Twitter, Roddick offered his behind-the-scenes information about the struggles players are facing in California just days after tipping one youngster to go far.
Indian Wells is one of the most hotly-anticipated dates in the tennis calendar, but with that comes intense scrutiny.
This time, it is the balls and the court taking centre stage, which the former world number one sums up in the following tweet: ‘Have gotten two texts from two of the top coaches on earth in last hour saying how bad the balls are at Indian Wells. Apparently this was after and handful of minutes of a warmup. How has this problem not been fixed over time? @Served_Podcast subject this week’.
It is not good news for everyone involved, and they will certainly have to come to a conclusion soon before the players start kicking up a fuss about these conditions.
A British blockbuster in the California desert
Whilst the major narratives of this tournament will revolve around the American players, and Carlos Alcaraz seeking to defend his title, today is actually a day dominated by the British.
Jack Draper is due to kickstart the action, with the Englishman set to spar with Australian Christopher O’Connell in the first round.
The 22-year-old is coming off the back of a semi-final in Acapulco, in which O’Connell’s countryman Alex De Minaur won as he was forced to retire due to illness.
Then, once Draper hopefully cements his spot in the round of 64, Andy Murray will face off against the Belgian David Goffin.
Harriet Dart claimed victory in her qualifier just yesterday too, and Katie Boulter, seeking to back up her exceptional San Diego success from earlier this week, will face Italian Camila Giorgi.
Three Brits all in action today should make for an enthralling watch, especially as all will be hopeful of progressing.
Dan Evans kickstarts his campaign with a tough match against Roman Safiullin tomorrow, whilst Cameron Norrie, as a seeded player, has to wait until Friday before he gets underway.
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