BNP Paribas Open: Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head & prediction | Indian Wells 2023

Match details

Fixture: (6) Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA

Category: ATP 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $8,800,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

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Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert preview

Andrey Rublev will take on the talented Frenchman Ugo Humbert in an exciting third-round encounter at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters on Sunday.

Rublev, the sixth seed at this year's tournament, opened his season with back-to-back early exits in Adelaide International 1 and 2. The Russian managed to steady the ship at the Australian Open — reaching the quarterfinals.

He then went 1-2 in terms of win-loss record up until Dubai, where he reached his first final of the season only to fall short against countryman Daniil Medvedev.

Back to stringing wins together, however, Rublev will be keen to keep the momentum going deep into the year's first Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells.

Humbert reached the third round in Melbourne earlier this year.

Having burst onto the scene between late 2020 and early 2021, Humbert made a name for himself with title wins in Australia and Europe. Injuries, however, halted the youngster's progress and he soon fell out of the top 100 in the world rankings.

On a comeback trail, he made a splash Down Under again earlier this year by reaching the third round with wins over Denis Kudla and Richard Gasquet. He didn't win a main draw match since coming into the Indian Wells, but staged a huge upset by taking out the 25th seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

Needless to say, the win over Shapovalov — his biggest in terms of ranking — would have given him some much-needed confidence.

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Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head

Rublev and Humbert have split their previous two meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock. The Frenchman won their most recent match, en route to capturing his biggest title at Halle in 2021.

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Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Andrey Rublev	-	-	-
Ugo Humbert	-	-	-

(Odds to be updated soon)

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Andrey Rublev vs Ugo Humbert prediction

Rublev is fresh off an appearance in a final in Dubai

Both Andrey Rublev and Ugo Humbert possess similarly power-packed baseline-oriented games that are better suited to faster surfaces.

The courts at Indian Wells, however, play much slower and reward patience over flashy shot-making. That said, their big serves — as they did in the previous matches — are bound to win them some easy points.

Buoyed by his win over Shapovalov, Humbert will be keen to stage yet another upset. That said, hitting Rublev off the court will not be an easy task.

The Frenchman does possess a slight variety in his game and likes to come into the net and keep his opponents guessing. He will have to do much of the same to keep his opponents from settling into a rhythm.

Humbert could well ask a few questions of Rublev, but the lack of match wins and Rublev's recent run of form make him a favorite to come through.

Prediction: Rublev to win in three sets