Indian Wells Daily Tips: Isner can serve an upset against Nadal

Events / Sean Calvert / 17 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

John Isner has achieved his highest world ranking this month and looks impressive at Indian Wells

"I continue to be impressed by John Isner’s progress and if his serve is working he could cause Rafa Nadal some problems."

He's only played one match, yet Viktor Troiki is in the fourth round and Sean Calvert believes Thomas Berdych can do little to stop the Serbian from progressing. Meanwhile, a big-serving American could cause Rafael Nadal problems.

It was another great day at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden yesterday and a very profitable one for those of you who took my advice to lay Roger Federer. The Swiss demonstrated his rustiness in losing to Marcos Baghdatis and those laying the Fed 2-0 win were very much in the money. Sadly, Dudi Sela spoiled the party with an awful performance, but Wednesday holds yet more possibilities for profit.

Viktor Troicki has been blessed with the most comfortable passage imaginable to get to this fourth round stage at Indian Wells. The Serbian played just one game against Pablo Cuevas before the Uruguayan retired and then he didn't have to bother turning up at all, as his next opponent, Nikolay Davydenko, discovered that he'd broken his wrist.

Things could get even better for Troicki as his next opponent is a man for whom the words 'inconsistent' and 'underachiever' were probably invented. Yes, Tomas Berdych is next up for Troicki and the pair will no doubt recall their clash in this event last year when the Serb dismissed Berdych in straight sets.

I can foresee a similar result again this year, as Berdych has just posted a good result against Fernando Verdasco in the third round and as he always fails when you expect the most of him, this looks a banana skin for Berdych.

To illustrate how little Berdych has made of his significant ability, the Czech has reached the quarter-finals or better in just eight of his 45 Masters Series events in his career. Furthermore, this is his sixth straight Indian Wells appearance and he is yet to better the last 16, so I wouldn't be too keen to snap up the [1.5] about the Czech here against an opponent who has won seven of his 11 hard court matches in 2010.

Of the other fourth round matches today, I continue to be impressed by John Isner's progress and if his serve is working he could cause Rafa Nadal some problems. Nadal's been looking good - in his play if not his dress sense - this week, but he's played a couple of journeymen whose best years are behind them and there's no reason why Isner can't at least pinch a set.

Laying Nadal 2-0 at around [1.78] looks to be the best bet in this one, as Isner is likely to get to a breaker and he's 13-4 in them in 2010.