Schedule and Preview Indian Wells Open 2025 Day Seven Tuesday March 11 including Medvedev, Rybakina, Swiatek v Muchova and Rune v Tsitsipas

The schedule for Day Seven at Indian Wells has been confirmed for Tuesday, March 11, marking the start of the Round of 16 in both the men’s and women’s draws. The main matches include defending champion Iga Swiatek facing Karolina Muchova and Holger Rune taking on Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Several stars will headline the day, including Daniil Medvedev against Tommy Paul, Elina Svitolina versus Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva against Elena Rybakina, and Zheng Qinwen taking on Marta Kostyuk.

It’s set to be a thrilling day in the WTA draw, with no major upsets so far as the favourites have lived up to expectations in their respective sections. Defending champion Iga Swiatek (2nd) returns to the court to face Karolina Muchova (15th) in a rematch of the 2023 French Open final. This increasingly competitive rivalry sees Muchova—when confident—capable of beating anyone, and she won’t be intimidated by Swiatek, who has dropped just four games in her first two matches against Caroline Garcia and Dayana Yastremska.

The winner will have to keep an eye on the matchup between Zheng Qinwen (8th) and Marta Kostyuk (18th), who have a 1-1 head-to-head record. The Ukrainian, who quietly defeated two local wildcards in straight sets, faces her first real challenge against a high-profile opponent. Her last match against a top-10 player was against Coco Gauff in Doha, where she secured a straight-sets victory. Meanwhile, Zheng has been thriving in the conditions of Tennis Paradise, winning consecutive matches (against Azarenka and Sun) for the first time this season without dropping a set.

In the other section of the draw, Elena Rybakina (7th) will have the chance to avenge her loss against rising star Mirra Andreeva (9th). The Russian teenager clinched her first WTA 1000 title two weeks ago, defeating Rybakina along the way in a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 battle. A Round of 16 clash feels too early for two players considered among the title favourites. Their head-to-head currently stands at 1-1.

In the final women’s match of the day, world No. 4 Jessica Pegula will take on Elina Svitolina (23rd), who eliminated two local players—Ashlyn Krueger and Danielle Collins. These two are well-acquainted, having faced off seven times before (with Pegula leading 5-2), including a dominant victory for the American at Indian Wells 2021 (6-1, 6-1).

The early exits of top seeds Alexander Zverev (1st) and Casper Ruud (4th) have opened the door for new names to break through. Tallon Griekspoor (No. 43) and Yosuke Watanuki (Q) will face off in an unexpected matchup. The Dutchman knocked out Zverev and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (29th), while the Japanese world No. 349 stunned two top-20 players, Tomas Machac (19th) and Frances Tiafoe (16th).

Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev, now the highest-ranked player remaining in the top half, will face home favourite Tommy Paul (No. 11). Medvedev leads their head-to-head 3-1 (2-0 on hard courts), including last year’s semifinal at this very event. Paul came close to victory on that occasion, but Medvedev mounted a comeback to win 1-6, 7-6, 6-2. The Russian advanced to this round after playing just two games against Alex Michelsen, who retired due to injury. This match will be a key test to assess Medvedev’s form as he looks to regain his best level.

Perhaps the most intriguing men’s match of the day is Holger Rune (12th) against Stefanos Tsitsipas (8th)—a battle between two former top-5 players who have struggled with consistency over the past year. Both see this as a golden opportunity for a deep run, especially with a lower-ranked opponent awaiting the winner in the quarterfinals. Rune leads their head-to-head 3-0, though they haven’t met since the 2023 ATP Finals.

Additionally, local surprise Marcos Giron—who eliminated Casper Ruud and Alexei Popyrin (26th)—will take on rising star Arthur Fils. The 20-year-old Frenchman saved a match point against Lorenzo Musetti (15th) and has now reached the Round of 16 at a Masters 1000 for the first time. He will be the favourite against Giron, who, at 31, is also making his debut at this stage of a tournament of this calibre.