Indian Wells: Sinner crushes Svrcina and Shapovalov wins tiebreak thriller as Mensik takes the final Friday slot
The second round of the BNP Paribas Open saw Jannik Sinner be ruthless and Denis Shapovalov survive a marathon against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Second part of the draw this Saturday.
Jannik Sinner, 2026 | © PsNewz
The evening session at Indian Wells belonged to the top seeds on Friday and the explosive shot-makers, starting with Jannik Sinner. The world number two secured a dominant 6-1, 6-1 and 65 minutes victory over qualified Dalibor Svrcina in just over an hour. This result confirms Sinner’s status as the man to beat in the bottom half of the draw as he moves through the opening rounds with minimal energy expenditure.
This victory sets up a highly anticipated third-round encounter between Sinner and the dangerous Denis Shapovalov. For Sinner, this victory serves as a necessary reset following a patchy start to 2026 that saw him fail to reach the final in both Melbourne and Doha. He will look to carry this efficiency into the weekend as the draw tightens and the seeds begin to face higher-ranked opposition.
Sinner with no mercy
The most telling statistic of the match was Sinner’s efficiency on his second serve, where he won 75% of the points. Svrcina struggled to find any depth on his groundstrokes, winning only 46 percent of his total service points as Sinner’s return game proved too relentless.
The intensity shifted significantly when Denis Shapovalov took to the court against seed No. 29 Tomas Martin Etcheverry. In a match that featured some of the most powerful baseline exchanges of the night, Shapovalov emerged victorious with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(7) scoreline. It was a performance that reminded the tennis world of the Canadian’s ceiling when his high-risk game finds its mark during the biggest moments of a set.
Shapovalov now prepares for the formidable task of facing Jannik Sinner in the round of 32. This outcome is a major boost for the Canadian, who has been searching for a deep run at a major tournament to reclaim his spot higher up the rankings.
The defining element of this match was the discrepancy between winners and unforced errors. Shapovalov fired 43 winners compared to Etcheverry’s 14, a stat that illustrates his commitment to dictate every point. However, he also committed 49 unforced errors, which allowed the Argentinian to stay in the contest and force a deciding tiebreak. In that final tiebreak, Shapovalov won five of the last seven points to seal the win.
The match story began with a flurry of highlights from the Shapovalov racket, as he took the first set with ease. However, Etcheverry adjusted his court position in the second set, using heavy topspin to push the Canadian back and level the match. The third set became a war of nerves, with both players holding serve comfortably until the pressure of the business end forced more conservative play from the baseline.
The tiebreak was a miniature epic in itself, with Shapovalov trailing early before finding two massive forehand winners to level the score. At 7-7, a long rally ended with an Etcheverry error, giving Shapovalov his first match point on serve, which he converted with an unreturned first delivery. It was a showing of grit that sets the stage for a blockbuster third round.
A high voltage thriller under the lights
As the clock ticked toward midnight, Jakub Mensik became the final man to secure his place in the third round. The Czech teenager defeated American Marcos Giron 7-5, 7-6(4) in a match that highlighted the depth of the next generation. Mensik’s ability to remain calm in a hostile environment against a home favorite was the key to his success on Friday night.
Mensik will now face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the number 18 seed, in the next round.
The most important statistical driver for Mensik was his reliability on serve despite a 57% of first serves in. He was able to protect his serve despite Giron’s relentless pressure from the return side (3 break points saved out of 3). Mensik also saved 9 of the 10 break points he faced all along the match, showing a remarkable ability to find his best tennis when his back was against the wall in the opening set.
The story of the first set was one of missed opportunities for Giron, who led by an early break before Mensik found his range. The Czech broke back at 4-4 and then struck again in the twelfth game to snatch the set 7-5. The second set was a more disciplined affair, with both players refusing to yield on serve, leading to a tiebreak that Mensik controlled from the very first point.
By winning that tiebreak 7-4, Mensik officially closed the books on Friday’s second-round action.
The final ticket to the third round
Elsewhere in the draw, Tommy Paul cruised through his opening match with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Zizou Bergs. Paul was in complete control from start to finish, using his superior movement to neutralize the Belgian’s power. He now moves on to face the winner of the match between Karen Khachanov and Joao Fonseca, a path that could lead to a deep run for the highest-ranked American in this section of the draw.
Alexander Zverev also moved through with a straight-sets win over Matteo Berrettini, winning 6-3, 6-4 in a match dominated by the serve. Ben Shelton followed suit by winning an all-American battle against Reilly Opelka in three sets, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, in a match that featured over 40 combined aces.
The night concluded with Frances Tiafoe ending Jenson Brooksby’s run with a 6-4, 6-2 victory. Tiafoe’s variety and use of the drop shot kept Brooksby off balance throughout the match. As the dust settles on Friday’s results, the draw has opened up significantly for several of the top ten seeds, setting the stage for a dramatic transition into the third round.
